'Mudding' lands man in jail and $3,400 bill

A pre-dawn romp in the mud proved to be expensive Tuesday for Benito Bartolotta.

The 25-year-old Antioch man was ordered to pay $2,889 in restitution and fined an additional $500 after he admitted tearing up an Antioch school's activity field with his truck.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney James Newman said Bartolotta headed out to do some "mudding" in his 2000 Dodge Dakota around 4 a.m. on April 16.

Problems developed when he decided to test his vehicle's off-road agility on the activity field at Hillcrest Elementary School, 433 E. Depot Road.

Bartolotta began driving in circles on the field, Newman said, carving ruts in the grass and destroying landscaping.

Bartolotta's vehicle became stuck at one point and he called his brother to come tow him out of the muck he had created.

His brother arrived in a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup, promptly got stuck as well, and the two men had to call a tow truck to haul out both vehicles.

Police noticed the destruction and followed the muddy tire tracks to Bartolotta's residence at 1056 Autumn Drive, Antioch, where they found both men washing their vehicles.

Newman said Bartolotta's brother was not charged because it was determined his vehicle did not do any damage to the school grounds.

Bartolotta pleaded guilty to criminal damage to government property, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Circuit Judge John Phillips placed Bartolotta on probation for two years, ordered him to spend 10 days in jail and to perform 100 hours of community service.