Huntley man accused of attempting to escape from hospital after burglary arrest

A Huntley man was denied pretrial release after authorities say he robbed a tobacco shop and later tried to escape custody while in the hospital.

Vincent M. Baldocchi, 41, was charged with escaping as a felon from a penal institution, a Class 3 felony. In a separate case, Baldocchi is charged with felony burglary, retail theft of property worth more than $300, possession of burglary tools, criminal damage to property less than $500, and resisting a police officer, court records show.

According to the complaint filed in McHenry County court, Baldocchi stole from Best Price Tobacco & Gifts in Huntley, including cartons of cigarettes and 20 vape products, in the early morning hours Wednesday.

Assistant State’s Attorney Nick Sheppard said authorities have Baldocchi on camera “smashing” the glass door with an ax. Once police caught Baldocchi, he admitted to police that he robbed the store because “they ripped him off earlier,” Sheppard said during Baldocchi’s initial appearance Thursday.

Baldocchi was transported to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital after he was taken into custody, and while there, he “knowingly attempted to escape police custody,” according to the criminal complaint.

Baldocchi was “sitting with an officer at the hospital, while handcuffed,” when he asked to have the cuffs removed to use the bathroom, authorities said. He then ran out of the bathroom and “ran through the exit door,” but the officer caught Baldocchi and returned him to his hospital room, Judge Cynthia Lamb said.

Lamb on Thursday approved prosecutors’ request to deny Baldocchi pretrial release.

“If being handcuffed in the custody of a police officer who is sitting next to him will not stop or mitigate the risk of this defendant’s willful flight to thwart the judicial system, there are no less restrictive means that will,” Lamb wrote in the pretrial detention order.

Lamb also said she based her decision on Baldocchi’s “long history” of 20 convictions dating back to 2002.

Assistant Public Defender Gianna Venticinque said Baldocchi recently suffered a “traumatic brain injury” in December that may have caused impairment.

Baldocchi is scheduled to appear in court on April 16.