Police say Carpentersville man chased Elgin landlord, 73, with ax
A Carpentersville man was charged with assaulting a 73-year-old Elgin man and chasing him with an ax Friday in a dispute over rent money, according to police and court records.
Christopher Pedersen, 60, of the 100 block of South Lincoln Avenue, is charged with felony aggravated battery to a person older than 60 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, records show.
According to an Elgin police report, authorities were called to Fairwood Drive on the city’s northwest side at about 8:23 p.m. Friday. Pedersen, who is a tenant of the victim at a Carpentersville apartment building, yelled at the victim about not accepting a check for rent money and accused the victim of stealing items from the apartment, police said.
Pedersen grabbed the man by the shirt, hit him in the back of the neck before he broke free, police said. Pedersen then pulled an ax out from his brown trench coat and chased the victim, who was trying to call police on his cellphone, the report said.
Pedersen couldn’t catch the victim and he eventually drove off. The victim was not seriously injured and refused medical attention, police said. A witness gave police Pedersen’s license number and he was arrested a short time later in Carpentersville, and authorities said they found the ax in Pedersen’s vehicle.
Pedersen is free on bond and due in court May 15.
If convicted of the most serious offense, he faces up to five years in prison.