Crime & Safety
Two People Stabbed in Crystal Lake Home Invasion; Police Searching for Attacker
Crystal Lake woman, 28, and her boyfriend, 23, are listed in critical condition after suffering multiple stabbings.
Crystal Lake Police are searching for an Elgin man who is the primary suspect in an early morning home invasion and attack that left a 28-year-old woman and her 23-year-old boyfriend in critical condition.
At about 4:17 a.m. Tuesday, July 2, police were called to a town home in the 1500 block of Isle Royal Circle on the south side of Crystal Lake to a report that two people were severely injured inside, according to Crystal Lake Police Cmdr. Dan Dziewior.
Police found the woman, a resident of the town home, and her boyfriend inside. Both had been stabbed multiple times, Dziewior said. They were transported to a local hospital, where they are listed in critical condition.
Police would not reveal which hospital(s) the victims were transported to since the suspect has not been caught.
The offender fled the scene before police arrived.
Investigators said the attack appears to be a case of domestic violence. Police are now searching for Jimmy Bell, Jr., 30, of Elgin. Bell is the ex-boyfriend of the 28-year-old woman, police said.
A next-door neighbor said he was friendly with Bell when he lived at the unit. The neighbor, who did not want his name published, said all three people involved in the attack appeared to be nice people.
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"I drank beers with (Bell)," the neighbor said. "I hate to say he was a nice guy after what happened."
Bell moved out of the town home more than one year ago, the neighbor estimated. He heard no commotion in the early morning hours Tuesday when the alleged attack occurred, he said.
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"I was sleeping. I didn't hear a thing until the police arrived," the neighbor said.
The front entrance and back patio of the town home by Tuesday afternoon was lined with yellow police caution tape. A grey SUV sitting in the driveway had two back flat tires. Neighbors watched as investigators moved in and out of the house, and teenagers hung in groups, curious about the police activity.
The McHenry County State's Attorneys Office has authorized warrants for two counts of attempted homicide for Bell's arrest.
Bell is believed to be driving a Red Honda Accord, bearing Illinois registration of 5566117 and may be enroute to Indiana or Georgia.
"Bell is considered to be armed and dangerous, and any attempt to apprehend him should be done by law enforcement officers only," Dziewior stated in a news release.
The McHenry County Major Investigations Assistance Team (MIAT) has been activated to assist Crystal Lake Police with this on-going investigation, Dziewior said.
Any person with information regarding this investigation, or the whereabouts of Jimmy Bell Jr, are encouraged to contact the Crystal Lake Police Department – Investigations Division at 815-356-3620, the hotline established for this investigation; 815 444-5960, or your local law enforcement agency.
Information can also be left anonymously via cellular phone by texting CLPDTIP along with the information to 847411 (tip411), through the web at: www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/group.html?id=4930 or www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/group.html?id=4930 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 800 762-7867.
Isle Royal Circle is located between Randall and Golf Course roads, near Alexandra Boulevard.
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