Lake Co. K9 Officer Aids in Arrest of Fugitive Who Punched Cop, Fled: Police

Photo 1 (left): K9 Dax. Photo 2 (right): Christopher Caceres

Lake County’s K9 Dax came to the rescue Tuesday afternoon after he helped police to track down a fugitive who was wanted for selling drugs at a bar in Lake in the Hills.

Fox River Grove police stopped a vehicle in the area of Route 14 and Opatrny Drive in Fox River Grove shortly after midnight on Tuesday. The front seat passenger, Christopher S. Caceres, 38, of Cary, got out of the vehicle, punched a Fox River Grove police officer and then fled on foot, Lake County Sheriff's Office Detective Christopher Covellie said in a news release.

Police learned Caceres was wanted on warrants for drug-related charges. Caceres, along with three other men, are accused of selling cocaine from a bar in Lake in the Hills.

Fox River Grove police requested assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Canine Team to assist in the search for Caceres. Additionally, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Cary Police Department responded to the scene to establish a perimeter, Covelli said.

K-9 Dax, who was accompanied by his handler, Deputy John Forlenza, began tracking the scent of Caceres. Caceres was located a short time later by K-9 Dax in the 100 block of Crescent Road in Fox River Grove, where he was taken into custody without further incident, according to the news release.

Caceres faces several felony drug charges and also has been charged with Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer (Class 3 Felony) and Resisting Arrest (Class A Misdemeanor). He was transported to the McHenry County Jail, to await a bond hearing.

The felony drug charges stem from a joint investigation by the Lake in the Hills Police Department and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force. The investigation was sparked by numerous complaints of patrons selling cocaine inside the bar, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

During the undercover operation, detectives purchased approximately seven grams of cocaine from the four men, police said. On April 29, three of the men, Victor E. Velasco, 39, of Lakemoor; Jason M. Siberbauer, 25, of Lake in the Hills; and Lukas Cerniauskas, 22, of Crystal Lake were taken into custody, police said.

>>> RELATED: 4 Face Felony Charges for Selling Drugs at LITH Bar

More During Velasco’s arrest, detectives seized an additional 29.5 grams of cocaine, 6 vials of steroids, 37 pills of steroids, three (3) digital scales, 5 Xanax pills, and $3,446.00. Velasco was a parolee. The street value of the cocaine seized is estimated to be approximately $3,600, ac

Caceres is being held on a $100,000 bond and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, the Northwest Herald reports.

Police are not releasing the name of the bar where the drugs were sold in Lake in the Hills because the owners were not involved in any criminal activity, according to the newspaper.

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