Barrington-area man charged in Deer Park drive-by stonings

A Barrington-area man is under arrest for throwing large rocks out of his car window at passing vehicles on the streets of several upscale communities during the past month, police said Friday.

Daniel M. Phelan, 27, of the 21000 block of Crestview Drive in unincorporated Barrington, was charged earlier this week with five counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct and nine counts of felony criminal damage to property.

Kildeer police investigators said Phelan, who is unemployed and living at home with his parents, tossed rocks while driving two or three times a day over nearly four weeks.

Detective John Lambie said Phelan would drive to Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve near Deer Park where he would gather rocks - bigger than 16-inch softballs - and load them in his car. While he drove back to his home, less than a mile away, he would toss the rocks out the window at random passing cars. Lambie was unable to say what made Phelan commit the crime.

"He was throwing boulders out his window," Lambie said. "It's a miracle that no one got seriously hurt or killed."

One 6-year-old boy suffered cuts on his face and arms from broken glass, police said. All the vehicles damaged by the rocks had broken windshields.

Kildeer police worked with the Lake County Sheriff's Office to investigate about 10 criminal damage to property reports that were filed.

Most of the cars were hit on a milelong stretch of Cuba Road between Ela Road and Route 59 that runs through parts of Deer Park, Lake Zurich, Barrington and unincorporated Lake County.

Additional charges may be filed as some motorists may not have reported the crime to police, thinking the rocks came from a truck or were kicked up off the road. A break in the case came when one victim reported the rock that struck his car was thrown from an older model white Oldsmobile Bravada.

On Monday, two days after the last criminal damage report was taken, Kildeer Police Officer Greg Abshire spotted the suspected car on Cuba Road near Rainbow Road. He stopped the car and found Phelan driving with a small pile of rocks on the front passenger seat.

Phelan was arrested when he implicated himself in some of the rock-throwing incidents, police said.

He faces up to three years in prison for each felony count and up to one year for each misdemeanor. He posted a $500 cash bond and was released from jail Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.