Rockdale Man's Driveway Death Still Mysterious: Police Chief

ROCKDALE, IL - On Thursday afternoon, Rockdale Police Chief Robert Dykstra told Joliet Patch that authorities are waiting for an autopsy to help shed light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of a 75-year-old Rockdale man. The man was found dead by a passerby around 8 a.m. in the driveway of the man's house, located in the 900 block of Parkview Avenue. At this stage, authorities have not determined whether the man was a victim of a homicide, whether he died of natural causes, whether he died of a medical condition or perhaps died from exposure, Rockdale's chief told Patch.

"I think we'll have our answers with the autopsy," Dykstra told Patch mid-afternoon Thursday. "We don't believe there is any reason for our residents to be alarmed ..."

The chief said the man's vehicle was found in his driveway and that the Rockdale resident was discovered about 10 to 20 feet behind his vehicle. Dykstra said the man is a long-time Rockdale resident. The chief said he preferred to wait to release the man's identity until Friday, to ensure that family members were notified.

"He's a well-known resident and well liked," the police chief said.

Rockdale police got the call at 8 a.m. and responded immediately, the chief said. A decision was made to call in the Will County Major Crimes Task Force as a precaution. Police remained on the scene from 8 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Thursday, the chief said.

The chief said that "some of the circumstances" prompted police to treat the man's death as a possible homicide. "Any death investigation, we treat as a criminal investigation until proven otherwise," he said. "There were multiple evidence technicians working on it. At this time, it's still open. We're waiting for the autopsy to better steer us in the right direction."

As for the 75-year-old man who was found dead, the chief said it's his understanding that the senior citizen lived at the house in the 900 block of Parkview Avenue alone.

"We believe he was the sole occupant of the residence," Dykstra said.

When Patch arrived on Parkview Avenue during the lunch hour, several police officers at the Rockdale Police Department as well as numerous investigators from the Will County Major Crimes Unit were on the scene of the house near the intersection of Wheeler Avenue and Parkview Avenue. A small house on Parkview Avenue had yellow crime scene tape stretched across the front yard. A Will County Sheriff's Department Crime Scene Unit truck was parked on the street directly in front of the house.

The case marks the second consecutive Thursday morning that Rockdale's Police Department and Will County were investigating a major crime. Last week, Michele Astrowski, a bartender in Rockdale, was found badly beaten near an old industrial park on Mound Road. By the end of that night, her boyfriend, Jason Errichetto, 44, was booked into the Will County Jail,where he was charged with attempted murder and is being held without any bond.

Joliet Patch will stay on top of this story. Please check back with Patch later today and watch for updates on this still-developing case.

Images via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak