Pipe, Bat Attack At Forest Preserve: 3 Joliet Area Residents Jailed

CHANNAHON, IL — The McKinley Woods Forest Preserve is known for its peace and tranquility, a place for people to visit who love nature. But last week, two relatives from Channahon and a Joliet man were hauled away in handcuffs following what authorities described as a brutal, unprovoked attack in the forest preserve's parking lot.

At least seven or eight police officers from the Will County Forest Preserve Police Department and the Channahon Police Department were called to McKinley Woods at 25055 West Walnut Street shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday. They arrested Sebastian Sternisha, 28, of Joliet's 200 block of 2nd Avenue, plus brother and sister Heather Lloyd, 32, and Michael Lloyd, 30, of 25400 block of South Blackberry Lane, which in Channahon.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has filed six charges against Sternisha, Heather Lloyd and Michael Lloyd: five counts of aggravated battery and one count of mob action.

Will County Forest Preserve Deputy Chief David Barrios said the attack had absolutely no connection to McKinley Woods. "This could have happened anywhere," he said. However, because the parking lot attack happened at McKinley Woods, "then, we get to deal with it."

According to the criminal complaint, the three defendants engaged in the knowing or reckless use of force or violence disturbing the public peace by 2 or more persons acting together and without authority of law, in that they attacked the victim.

One of the aggravated battery charges states that Heather Lloyd and Sternisha knowingly and without legal justification by any means made physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with the male victim, and used a deadly weapon, a pipe, in that said defendant struck the victim about the body with a pipe.

An aggravated battery charge filed against Heather and Michael Lloyd accused Michael Lloyd of knowingly and without legal justification by any means caused bodily harm to the victim, and he used a deadly weapon, a bat, in that said defendant struck the man about the body with a bat.

Heather Lloyd is also accused of hitting the victim in the head.

According to Barrios, the victim drove to McKinley Woods thinking he was doing a child custody exchange with Heather Lloyd, his ex-wife. Instead, as the man pulled into the parking lot, two vehicles pulled into the lot and boxed him in. Michael Lloyd and Sternisha had baseball bats and a metal pipe to attack the victim, Barrios said.

"He was scared, and they boxed him in," Barrios said of the victim.

Because the victim had his own baseball bat in his car, he used his wooden bat to shield himself from being severely hurt, according to Barrios.

Still, Michael Lloyd and Sternisha managed to strike the victim several times with their weapons, authorities said.

Since the attack happened during broad daylight in a public parking lot, other people at McKinley Woods called 911. Authorities arrested the Lloyds and Sternisha at the scene. The victim was taken to an area hospital, and he was treated and released for minor injuries.

According to Barrios, the victim "had moved back in town and wanted to re-connect with his ex."

As for the 3-year-old girl, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services took her into emergency protective care and placed the child with a relative, police said.

Michael Lloyd was released from the Will County Jail on Saturday after spending two days in custody. His bail was $5,000. Heather Lloyd was also released on Saturday after posting 10 percent of her $5,000 bail. Sternisha was released Friday night after posting 10 percent of his $5,000 bail.