Alum charged with driving drunk across Cary-Grove sports fields

A Cary man jailed since Sunday after police said he drunkenly drove his car through a backstop and across ball fields at Cary-Grove High School could go free today after a judge agreed to lower his bond.

Rory K. Saylor, 19, of the 1200 block of Ardmore Drive, faces charges including criminal damage to state supported property, criminal damage, DUI and unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor stemming from the incident early Sunday morning.

The charges allege Saylor drove onto the high school's athletic fields while intoxicated, causing damage to equipment and grass.

"He damaged the backstop to the extent that it has to be replaced, then did doughnuts on every field, over every baseball field, every football field," Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney David Johnston said.

Saylor, a Cary-Grove graduate, was arrested about 3:16 a.m. Sunday and taken to the county jail, where a judge set his bail at $28,000 Monday morning.

Johnston said Saylor appeared intoxicated, but refused a breath test after his arrest. A passenger did submit to a breath test and was found to be three times over the legal limit for driving, Johnston said. A bottle of hard liquor, two-thirds of it empty, was found in Saylor's vehicle, he added.

Judge Sharon Prather lowered bail today to $7,500, meaning Saylor must put up $750 cash to go free while the case against him is pending. The lower bond, however, comes with several strings attached including a curfew, a ban on driving and a requirement Saylor undergo an alcohol evaluation and enter treatment, if recommended.

"If what (prosecutors) say is true, your behavior is not only criminal, it's totally stupid," Prather told Saylor.

County prosecutors opposed the bond reduction, arguing that Saylor's record - which includes arrests this year for domestic battery, resisting arrest and underage drinking - indicate he's not likely to abide by the conditions of his release.

"The defendant is out of control," Johnston said. "He's a danger to himself. He's a danger to others."