A Washington state man who eluded police for hours Tuesday is now facing gun charges in Lake County – with others expected in Cook County in connection with a homicide – and the woman authorities say aided him is also charged.
Osceola Little, 38, of the 6600 block of Gateway Terrace, Everett, Washington, is charged out of Lake County with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Luisa Sanchez, 22, of the 28800 block of West South Street, Cary, is charged out of Lake County with obstructing justice, aiding a fugitive, unlawful possession of a firearm – no Firearm Owners Identification card.
Both were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning in Waukegan where prosecutors were set to request they be held in jail as they await trial.
According to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, at around noon Tuesday, Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to a hit-and-run traffic crash on U.S. Highway 14 at Pepper Road in unincorporated Lake Barrington.
The deputies arrived in the area and began checking for the vehicle said to be involved in the crash. At around 12:35 p.m., the release explains, the vehicle was located abandoned at a business just northwest of Pepper Road.
“It was determined the abandoned vehicle was being driven by a man suspected in a recent homicide that occurred in Chicago,” authorities stated in the release.
That man was identified as Little.
Lake County authorities said they learned that earlier in the day Tuesday, Little fled from police during a vehicle pursuit. He was believed to be armed and dangerous.
After getting word about Little, schools – including Barrington School District 220 – and area municipalities – including the village of Barrington, about 5 miles south – were put on notice, the release states.
Video surveillance police got from an area business showed Little exiting his crashed vehicle with a duffle bag and a woman, identified as Sanchez, getting out of the vehicle with a backpack, and both fled on foot, according to the release.
“The sheriff’s office deployed dozens of deputies, including specialized units, to conduct a coordinate search, aided by numerous local police officers. The operation was managed from the sheriff’s new mobile command vehicle,” Lake County authorities stated in the release.
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the state police, along with officers from police departments as far away as Aurora assisted. Area police on the scene included ones from the Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Barrington, Barrington Hills, South Barrington and Lake Zurich police departments, with deputies from Kane and Cook counties also aiding.
At around 2:10 p.m., Sanchez, whose listed address is roughly five miles west of the scene in the town of Cary, was located and arrested at a gas station near Hwy. 14 and Kelsey Road. Police allege that she hid a firearm inside the gas station. Lake County sheriff’s deputies and office and Chicago police officers found the gun hidden inside a bathroom air vent, according to the release.
Authorities continued to search for Little. The release explains that more than drones, canines, a state police helicopter and more were used to search the area of Kelsey Road to the west, Route 22 to the north, Hwy. 14 to the south, and North Harbor Road to the east.
It wasn’t until around 6:20 p.m., that Little was spotted by authorities.
“Little immediately ran when confronted. Sheriff’s deputies and area police officers pursued him on foot, and Little ran into an occupied industrial building in the 21900 block of Pepper Road, Lake Barrington. Sheriff’s deputies were able to contain Little to an office room in the building and safely evacuate the employees who were working inside,” according to the release.
Sheriff’s negotiators were called to the scene, and about two hours later at 8:15 p.m., Little surrendered, the release states.
“Further investigation revealed the firearm hidden by Sanchez belongs to Little and it appears to be the firearm used in the Chicago homicide,” authorities stated in the release.
The two could face additional charges in Lake County. Also, the Cook County State’s Attorney could approve charges there, according to authorities.
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