Libertyville man remains behind bars on bomb threat charge
A Libertyville man accused of threatening to detonate three bombs at the Vernon Hills Summer Celebration earlier this month will remain held on $25,000 bail, a Lake County Judge ruled Tuesday.
James N. Trelford, 48, whose last known address was on the 100 block of Second Street, was appointed a public defender by Lake County Judge Raymond Collins after testifying that he is unemployed and does not have the money to hire a private attorney.
He is due back in court Aug. 27, and will remain in jail until he can come up with the 10 percent bond required to be released.
Trelford was arrested and charged with felony counts of disorderly conduct after phoning in a bomb threat to Vernon Hills Police on July 20.
Police said Trelford used a cellphone to call police at 11:08 p.m. during the celebration with claims the three bombs would detonate at the festival site on Lakeview Parkway.
However, telecommunicators were able to pinpoint the location of the call and identify Trelford from previous contacts, authorities said.
The festival grounds were not scheduled to close until midnight the night of the call, but an assessment of the situation showed the grounds did not need to be evacuated, authorities said.
Trelford was arrested 12 minutes after the call was made as he was walking about a half mile north of the festival grounds, police said.
Once in custody, Trelford told police there were no bombs, and he was upset that a woman who he met at the festival did not like him, according to police.