Sex offender arrested drinking beer with teenage boy

Police arrested a convicted sex offender Tuesday after he was seen along an Elgin bike path drinking beer with a 17-year-old boy.

Policardo P. Villanueva, 35, of 509 Maple St. #5B, Carpentersville, was charged with sex offender in a public park, police said.

The arrest came after an Elgin police officer on patrol noticed Policardo and the teen near the bike path about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The boy told police he was walking into a grocery store at Clock Tower Plaza when Villanueva called him over and offered him a friendship bracelet for $5, police said.

After the boy bought the bracelet, Villanueva gave him a silver three-inch pocket knife and promised him beer if he would walk over to the bike path with him, police said.

When Villanueva was arrested, police said they found on him material for making friendship bracelets and two other silver three-inch pocket knives.

In court on Wednesday, Villanueva said he was released last Friday from the Kane County jail where he had been held on a charge of failing to register as a convicted sex offender.

He was unable to post a $2,500 bond Tuesday and returned to the jail Wednesday morning.

He is scheduled to appear at the Kane County Judicial Center on his latest charge on Oct. 17 and again on Oct. 22 on the charge of failure to register as a sex offender.