Homeless man charged in stabbing at Crystal Lake shelter

A 40-year-old homeless man is behind bars in the McHenry County jail today, accused of stabbing another homeless man during a weekend altercation at a Crystal Lake area shelter.

Anthony Kolak faces a charge of aggravated battery stemming from the incident about 8:30 p.m. Friday at a McHenry County Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) facility located in a church on the 3400 block of Walkup Road.

McHenry County Sheriff's police said Kolak stabbed the victim in the stomach during a fight inside the shelter. The victim, sheriff's police said, was treated at the scene for what was described as nonlife-threatening injuries.

Kolak was arrested and transferred to the county jail, where he remains today on a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on the Class 3 felony charge, which normally is punishable by a maximum two to five years in prison.

It is the second time in less than a month that a homeless McHenry County man has landed in jail on aggravated battery charges. On Nov. 14, Crystal Lake police arrested Jonathan A. Pease, 28, on allegations he threw hot coffee in the face of a worker at a Starbucks in the city's downtown, leaving the victim with first- and second-degree burns.