Man who made bomb threat at Lake County special needs school faces charges
A man who called in a bomb threat to a Lake County school district in January has been identified and charged, Lake County sheriff’s officials said.
About 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 25, Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) for a bomb threat. A man called Gages Lake School and informed the receptionist that he will blow up a car in the parking lot if a specific employee did not come outside, officials said.
Sheriff’s deputies and explosive detection canines from Great Lakes Naval Station conducted a thorough search of the area and did not find any signs of a bomb or explosives. Students remained inside the school and were not dismissed until the area was deemed safe, officials said.
An investigation revealed the call was placed by a phone belonging to Markeese D. Guider, 27, of the 200 block of North 2nd Street in Maywood. Sheriff’s detectives determined Guider was in a relationship with a person working at one of the schools on the property.
Detectives also determined Guider, who is on parole for aggravated vehicular hijacking of a handicapped person, was the offender in a November incident in Green Oaks, where he pointed a firearm at someone.
On Feb. 1, sheriff’s detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Guider on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon (class 3 felony), aggravated unlawful use of a firearm (class 4 felony), aggravated assault (misdemeanor), and criminal trespass to property (misdemeanor), stemming from the November incident in Green Oaks.
On Wednesday, Guider was taken into custody at his home by his parole officers. He was taken to the Lake County jail, where sheriff’s detectives found evidence of the Jan. 25 call to Gages Lake School on his cellphone’s call log, when the bomb threat was made.
The Lake County state’s attorney’s office approved a charge of disorderly conduct-transmitting a bomb threat (class 4 felony) for Guider.
“Because of the close working relationship we have with SEDOL and school districts throughout the county, our deputies and detectives were able to work quickly and efficiently to make an arrest in this case,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said. “The offender caused major fear and disruption at the school and we will ensure he is held accountable for his reckless actions.”
The Illinois Department of Corrections issued a parole violation warrant for Guider.
He is being held at the Lake County jail pending first appearance court Thursday morning.