Wis. man held in armed robbery at Crystal Lake party

A suburban Milwaukee man was behind bars at the McHenry County jail Wednesday, facing multiple charges alleging he robbed three teens at gunpoint earlier this month during a party in Crystal Lake.

Eric C. Hudson, 20, of Waukesha, Wis., was arrested Tuesday night on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of battery stemming from the Dec. 12 incident in the 0-100 block of Green Oaks Drive.

Police said Hudson, who was invited to the party, approached the three male teens as they stood in a garage on the property, displayed a black semiautomatic handgun and demanded their money. After he took their cash, police said, the robber struck two of the victims.

Crystal Lake Police Cmdr. Michael Brichetto said it does not appear Hudson and the victims knew one another well, and described the incident as a crime of opportunity. After canvassing the neighborhood and speaking with witnesses, Brichetto said, investigators were able to identify Hudson as the suspect and learned that, although he has a Wisconsin address, he was believed to have remained in the Crystal Lake area.

Police arrested Hudson about 7:50 p.m. Tuesday night in Crystal Lake and transported him to the McHenry County jail, where he remains unable to post 10 percent of a $75,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a hearing on his request for a lower bond.

If convicted of the armed robbery charges, Hudson would face between six and 30 years in prison. The battery charges are misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and fines of up to $2,500.