New Details Emerge In Drowning Of Man Who Skipped Bar Tab, Jumped In Fox River

ALGONQUIN, IL — A man who died after skipping out on his bar tab after drinking at an Algonquin bar was chased by other customers of the local establishment before he jumped into the Fox River to presumably try and escape, the Northwest Herald reports. Ernest Prentic, 29, was swept over the Fox River dam at the Route 62 bridge in Algonquin at about 9:20 p.m. on June 1, according to police. Rescue crews found Prentic dead in the Fox River the next day.

Police reports and surveillance videos provided to the Northwest Herald through a Freedom of Information Act request shed some light into what happened prior to Prentic jumping into the Fox River near Route 62 and North River Road in Algonquin. The reports also provide some insight into his state of mind when he made the fatal decision.

Prentic, who had suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, recently stopped taking his medications and was drinking heavily at Nero's Pizza and Pub, 300 Eastgate Drive, on the evening of June 1. A regular at the local bar, Prentic ordered a dozen drinks, some of which he purchased for customers at the bar, in just two hours, according to the Northwest Herald. He owed the business $68 for five shots of Jameson Irish Whiskey and five "Jager bombs," when he fled, the police reports revealed.

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Two teens pursued Prentic, and Prentic lightly pushed one of the teens and called the teen a racial slur before he leaped into the Fox River. Witnesses told Algonquin authorities it appeared Prentic was attempting to swim across the river to Port Edward's Restaurant when he was swept over the dam. Fishermen told police they saw Prentic pop out of the river three times before going under.

"Pretty much it appears he went into the river in an attempt to swim across it," Algonquin Deputy Police Chief Ryan Markham told the Northwest Herald. "There are no signs of foul play involved. It looked like a poor decision."

A coroner's report revealed Prentic died from drowning. Toxicology results, including his blood alcohol concentration, have not yet been released.

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More via the Northwest Herald

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