Bond upped for Carpentersville man accused of stalking estranged wife

A McHenry County judge Monday raised bail by $500,000 for a Carpentersville man accused of repeatedly stalking his estranged wife, but stopped short of prosecutors' request she order him held with no chance at making bond.

Leroy J. Leske, 45, now must post $50,000 cash - in addition to the $10,00 he's already posted - to go free while awaiting trial on two aggravated stalking charges that could land him in prison for up to 10 years.

Judge Sharon Prather said she would not hold Leske without bond because there is sparse evidence he threatened his wife with physical harm since she first accused him of stalking her in October.

"However, the defendant certainly has demonstrated conduct that he is unwilling, or unable, to abide by any court order and (instead) he's going to do whatever he wants," the judge ruled.

Prather heard testimony Monday from Leske and his wife, who filed for a divorce in July. Since then, his wife testified, Leske has called, sent text messages and followed her despite an order of protection barring any contact. The behavior continued even after Leske's first stalking arrest in November, she said.

In one case, the Crystal Lake woman said, Leske threw flowers at her front porch, striking her mother with them. On another occasion, she said, he called and made an ominous comment about having "a new toy," which she took to mean a gun.

"(He said) that I better watch myself, that he was watching me and I was going down with him," she testified. "He said that he had nothing to live for and to remember that he was crazy."

Leske denied those statements, as well as her claims that followed her. He did admit to the flowers incident, saying he intended them for his daughter.

Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Donna Kelly said Leske would be a threat to his wife if allowed out of jail.

"This is a very dangerous situation where we have a defendant who refuses to comply with court orders," she said.

Leske attorney Stephen Haugh argued that his client's wife was making up the claims to prevent him from visiting with their children.

"I think she's using her order of protection to strike out at him," Haugh said.

Leske is scheduled to return to court Jan. 12 for a pretrial status hearing.