Bond reduced for second teen charged in McHenry Co. bank heist

A judge cut bond in half Thursday for a DeKalb County teen suspected of robbing a Huntley bank and trying to hold up another in Union earlier this year.

Over the objection of prosecutors, McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather reduced bond for Justin Fasel, 17, to $200,000, meaning he will need to post $20,000 to go free.

Despite the reduction, Fasel, of Hinckley, remained in the McHenry County jail late Thursday. His attorney, Paul Hendley, said the teen's family hoped to raise enough money to post bond, but it might not happen for several days.

"They'll struggle just to come up with $20,000," he said.

Prather's decision to reduce Fasel's bond comes two days after she did the same for his co-defendant, Matthew Reno, 18, of Hinckley. Reno posted $20,000 cash bond Tuesday and is free pending his next court appearance Oct. 10.

Both teens face charges of armed robbery and theft in connection with a March 10 stickup at the Castle Bank in Huntley. Authorities claim one of the teens, wearing a mask and displaying a handgun, approached a teller and demanded money before escaping to a waiting car with several thousand dollars.

Two weeks later, police said, the pair tried to rob the First Midwest Bank in Union, leading to attempted armed robbery charges against each. They were arrested late last month with the help of a tip to the FBI in Chicago.

In court Thursday, Hendley described Fasel as a home-schooled student just a few credits shy of earning a high school diploma who had never before been in trouble with the law.