Algonquin man who attempted jail break now wants to stay

Just a few months after trying his darnedest to escape from behind bars, former Algonquin resident Inhak "Tommy" Cho is doing his best to remain there for a very long time.

But unlike his foiled bid to break out of the McHenry County jail earlier this year, this time county authorities weren't as eager to ensure he stays locked up.

The unusual turnaround happened in court last week when a visibly upset Cho appeared before McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather and, ignoring his lawyer's advice, said he wanted to skip his trial and plead guilty to charges he kidnapped a former girlfriend two years ago.

While that kind of declaration might normally be welcomed in court -- trials are costly, stressful, time-consuming and wreak havoc on a court schedule -- Prather implored Cho to reconsider.

"If you do that, Mr. Cho, you're taking a chance you would be imprisoned up to 45 years," Prather said. "Certainly it would be in your best interests to listen to your lawyer's advice."

"I don't think that's necessary, your honor," Cho replied. "I want to plead guilty. I know what I did."

Even a 10-minute conference with his lawyer -- ordered by Prather -- failed to dissuade Cho.

But the judge, at the request of Cho attorney George Kililis, ordered that Cho take two weeks to think about his decision. If he still wants to formally admit guilt then, Prather said she would accept the plea.

Cho, 46, faces aggravated kidnapping and other charges stemming from allegations he abducted his former girlfriend at a home in Carpentersville in April 2005 and then held her against her will at the Algonquin residence they once shared until police rescued her.

He also is awaiting trial on a felony escape charge filed in January after officers at the McHenry County jail discovered a hole about 18 inches wide and more than an inch deep in his cell. Authorities said Cho had been trying to dig his way out of his second-floor cell using two metal chisels he crafted out of cleaning equipment.

Skateboarding suit: Skateboarding can be a dangerous sport.

Even more dangerous when you try to scale a fence to get into a prime skateboarding location.

A 12-year-old McHenry boy found that out last year when he fell and injured himself while trying to climb a fence to get into the skateboarding area at the city's Knox Park.

Now he and his mother are suing the city and McHenry Park District, claiming the boy climbed the fence only after a city worker told him to.

Here's what happened, according to the lawsuit: Frank Tonyan went to the park April 29, 2007, to get something he had left behind during an earlier skating outing.

When he arrived, the suit states, the boy found the skating area locked, so he asked a nearby city employee to open it for him. But instead of opening the gate, the suit alleges, the worker told the boy to climb the fence.

Frank, the suit claims, did as he was instructed and, while doing so, fell and injured himself. The suit does not disclose the exact nature of the boy's injuries, but describes them as "severe and permanent."

The suit, which seeks as much as $30,000 in damages, is scheduled to make its first court appearance Oct. 31 before Judge John Bolger.