A 24-year-old Grayslake man, who was released from prison last year after serving time for sexually assaulting a Libertyville woman in 1993, was in the Lake County Jail Tuesday after police said he attempted to drag a woman into the bushes near the scene of the earlier crime.
Bond was set at $900,000 for Christopher S. Hanson, of South Whitney Street in Grayslake, on charges of aggravated battery and unlawful restraint, Lake County Assistant State’s Atty. Matthew Chancey said.
Hanson was arrested and charged after two witnesses saw him allegedly try to drag a 48-year-old Libertyville woman from a bike path near Lakeside Cemetery, Chancey said.
Shortly before noon Saturday, Hanson allegedly came up behind the woman, who was walking on the bike path at Lake and West Streets, and struck her and hit her head, Chancey said. He then allegedly gagged her and tried to drag her into nearby bushes when the woman broke free and ran off, Chancey said.
Hanson was arrested Saturday night after two witnesses, who saw the alleged attack, identified himfrom photographs, Chancey said.
His previous record came up in bond court. In 1994, Hanson, previously of Round Lake, was convicted of criminal sexual assault in the Aug. 16, 1993, attack on a Libertyville woman in the 400 block of West Park Avenue.
In that assault, the victim was attacked from behind as she walked along a bike path. The woman told police she was not initially alarmed about the man following her because he was dressed like a jogger. But a few minutes later, she told police in 1993, Hanson grabbed her and took her into a nearby field, where he sexually assaulted her.
He was arrested for that crime after Round Lake police, responding to a call of a man beating a woman, reportedly found Hanson throwing a 35-year-old woman from the nearby Rosewood Apartments to the ground, police said at the time.
While he was being processed at the Round Lake police station, officers noticed a resemblance between Hanson and sketches of a man wanted in connection with the Libertyville assault.