Former employee fires shot inside Elgin business; no one hurt

• Reprints

No one was hurt Monday during an incident at the Driveline auto garage at 226 N. State St., Elgin, in which a former employee is accused of firing a gun into the floor of the business. He was arrested without incident, police said. | Bill O'Neill~For Sun-Times Media

Updated: January 23, 2012 4:13AM

Elgin

Shot fired in repair shop: Kyle Horn, 23, of the 8N100 block of Peppertree Lane, Elgin, was charged with aggravated discharge and unlawful use of a weapon Monday after he allegedly fired a gun inside his former employer’s business, police said. Horn is accused of entering the Elgin Driveline auto service garage at 226 N. State St. (Route 31) that morning and firing the gun during a dispute with the former employer. No one was hurt. Horn was scheduled to appear in Kane County bond court Wednesday on the charges.

Shooting probe continues: Police were continuing to investigate — but not reveal much about — the shooting of two people in the 700 block of Walnut Avenue just after midnight Saturday morning. Police spokeswoman Sue Olafson said the two victims, whose names were not disclosed, remained hospitalized Monday. One was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, the other to Sherman Hospital in Elgin. She said investigators believe the shootings were gang-related. Residents of the neighborhood said the shootings happened in front of a house on the north side of the street, close to the end of Vandalia Street. The site is only a block away from where a 19-year-old man sustained wounds not considered life-threatening Sept. 15 in what police believe to be a gang-related shooting in the 200 block of Wilcox Avenue.

Sirens to be tested: The Elgin Police Department began conducting maintenance on the city’s 15 emergency sirens Monday. Police spokeswoman Sue Olafson said the procedure requires the activation of each siren for about 30 seconds. Residents should not be alarmed when they hear the sirens during the maintenance process. The testing and maintenance will conclude Friday., Oct. 21

Drug, DUI charges: Mario A. Garcia De Alba, 21, of the 900 block of Longford Road, Bartlett, was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and reckless driving following an arrest Sunday in Elgin. According to police, he hit an Elgin officer’s squad car head-on while driving west in an eastbound lane. Bail was set at $10,000, and he was given an Oct. 24 court date.

Weapons charges: Luis Martinez, 17, of the 600 block of Grace Street, Elgin, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and obstructing a police officer. According to police, he was found with a .38 caliber revolver on Dwight Street Sunday in Elgin. He was given an Oct. 24 court date and bail was set at $75,000.

Vandalism: Two cases of vandalism were reported in the 200 block of North Liberty Street, one overnight between Saturday and Sunday, and one at 8:05 p.m. Sunday. It was unclear whether they were related. In the first case, a 47-year-old woman said someone threw bricks at her 2000 Chevy Malibu while it was parked outside her home, smashing the windshield, both left-side windows and the rear window, and damaging one of the doors. In the Sunday evening case, someone threw a partly full bottle of beer through the living-room window of a home while the home’s occupants were in the basement. No one was injured.

Lords Park break-in: A car burglar striking in midday between 11:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. Sunday broke into a locked car parked near Lords Park Pavilion while its owners were taking a stroll through the park, they told police. The couple said the intruder smashed a window on their Volkswagen Jetta, then stole a yellow Coach purse containing a blue Coach wallet and $30. They told police two men riding BMX bikes had been acting suspiciously.

Slashed-tires arrest: A 23-year-old Lake in the Hills man was charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to property after allegedly slashing two tires on a 2007 Mercedes-Benz parked outside the Tilted Kilt night club at 2300 Bushwood Drive Sunday night. The owner told police he came out of the club at about 9:50 p.m. to smoke a cigarette and saw David B. Blumenthal, a man whom he knows, bending down next to his car. He said Blumenthal then walked away toward Rookies night club at 2586 Bushwood and he discovered the tire damage. Police found Blumenthal inside Rookies and arrested him. He was released on bond pending a Nov. 4 court hearing.

Basement burglary: A burglar who broke the hinges on the outside basement door of a home in the 800 block of Oak Street and stole some wine and a bicycle, the owner told police Sunday. He said the break-in happened sometime between 12:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Appliances stolen: Someone broke into a garage in the 500 block of Barrett Street and stole several appliances between Oct. 13 and Oct. 16, the owner told police.