Cops: Crystal Lake man tied up ex, held her at knifepoint

A 37-year-old Crystal Lake man was behind bars at the McHenry County jail Thursday facing multiple felony charges alleging he tied a rope around an ex-girlfriend's neck and held her at knifepoint.

Gerardo T. Lagunes, of the 100 block of Woodstock Street, appeared in court Thursday morning on charges of aggravated domestic battery, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated harassment by telephone and violation of an order of protection stemming from the incident early Wednesday morning.

Police said Lagunes was hiding inside the 38-year-old woman's car, parked in Woodstock, when she got in to drive to work about 5:50 a.m. Wednesday. As she began to drive away, Woodstock police said, Lagunes confronted her and tied a rope around her neck.

The woman managed to break free of the rope, police said, but Lagunes pulled out a pocket knife and pressed it to her side. Another struggle ensued, in which the woman managed to take the knife from Lagunes, police said. He then got out of the car and ran away, according to police.

The woman, who suffered what police described as superficial injuries in the struggle, then continued to work and did not report the incident until about 7:05 p.m.

"Apparently she had received a threatening call from him (at work) about not reporting it to police," Woodstock police Sgt. Richard Johns said.

Lagunes was arrested later Wednesday night at a Crystal Lake business and taken to the McHenry County jail, where he remains in custody, unable to post 10 percent of a $100,000 bond set Thursday morning.

Court records show the victim obtained an order of protection against Lagunes in February 2009, stating he threatened to kill her if she did not resume their relationship.

Lagunes, who stated in court papers that he works as a dishwasher at a Crystal Lake restaurant, is scheduled to return to court Monday for a hearing on his request for a lower bond.