COOK COUNTY, IL–A Palos Hills alderman is telling people not to believe everything they read on social media after her 36-year-old son was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman he met at a concert. Timothy O’Connell appeared Thursday at the Bridgeview Courthouse on three felony counts of criminal sexual assault. O’Connell was placed on pretrial electronic monitoring.
“There are two sides to every story,” Ald. Donna O'Connell said. “Don't believe everything you read on social media.”
In April, Palos Hills police requested assistance from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives to investigate a reported sexual assault. Detectives learned that the woman, who lives out of state, was attending the Slaughter to Prevail concert on April 20 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
Patch has reached out to Palos Hills police as to why the investigation was turned over to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
A man, later identified as Timothy O’Connell, of the 8100 block of Willow Drive, allegedly offered her a drink. The woman took a few sips and then could no longer recall the rest of the night, sheriff’s police said.
The woman’s next recollection was the following morning, when investigators said she found herself at a residence in the 11100 block of Spathis Drive in Palos Hills, partially dressed. Sheriff’s police said O’Connell ordered her a ride back to her hotel using a rideshare account registered to his name.
When the woman returned home, she sought medical attention. According to police, the results indicated evidence of sexual assault.
Cook County sheriff’s detectives obtained a search warrant for O’Connell’s calls and location data, which they claimed placed him at the Aragon Ballroom on April 20, as well as traveling to the Spathis Drive address. Security camera footage from the Aragon Ballroom showed O’Connell carrying the woman as he walked outside the venue. Additional security footage showed a vehicle dropping the woman and O’Connell off at the Spathis Drive address later that night.
On Wednesday, Cook County sheriff’s detectives took O’Connell into custody. O’Connell allegedly admitted to having sexual intercourse with the woman.
The Cook County State’s Attorney approved three felony counts of criminal sexual assault against O’Connell. O’Connell appeared for a pre-detention hearing at the Bridgeview Courthouse, where the judge placed him on pretrial electronic monitoring.
O'Connell was well known for running a popular haunted attraction during the Halloween season, KillDare City, for the Bridgeview Park District.
~ This story has been updated with new information.
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