Sleepy Hollow chief survives 'bear'-like attack, suffers bites

When James Montalbano left work Friday, he thought he was preparing for a regular weekend.

But the Sleepy Hollow police chief had something entirely different heading his way.

Montalbano said that on Friday afternoon he saw Michael A. Mueller coming toward his home on the 900 block of South McLean Boulevard in Elgin. “He came at me like what you see in the movies when a bear attacks, Montalbano said. “He came at me with his arms up in the air, making noises.

Mueller lives down the street from Montalbano, but the chief had never seen him before.

Montalbano said Mueller didn't say a single word he could understand and kept trying to get past him into his house.

“He didn't act normal, Montalbano said.

Montalbano, 70, said he stopped the 31-year-old Mueller from entering the home, wrestling him to the ground only to have him break free and restart the struggle.

This continued until the police arrived just before 4:30 p.m. and arrested Mueller.

Montalbano said that before it was over, Mueller had bitten him on both hands.

The most serious of Mueller's charges is aggravated battery to a person over the age of 60, a felony that carries a sentence of two to five years in prison but with probation as an option.

Mueller was also charged with criminal trespass and resisting a police officer, police said.

Mueller's bond was set Saturday morning at 10 percent of $15,000, an amount he posted at about 2 p.m. Sunday. He is due back in court on Oct. 22.

After the incident on Friday, Mueller was taken to Sherman Hospital because it appeared he was under the influence, Elgin police spokeswoman Sue Olafson said.

Montalbano also went to Sherman, where he received a tetanus shot.

“It doesn't make sense to me, period, Montalbano said. “I've never seen him before, so I've obviously never provoked him that I know of. I was simply trying to keep him out of my house.

Before Friday's incident, Mueller had only two traffic tickets in Kane County for running red lights in Elgin in 2005 and Pingree Grove in 2008.