30 horses escape stable near Wauconda

A stampede of some 30 horses gave residents near Wauconda a surprise Thursday afternoon after the equines escaped from a nearby stable and ran down roads and into front yards.

Drivers contacted police about 4:20 p.m. after seeing horses running along Gossell Road, Garland Road and Virginia Lane in an unincorporated area near Wauconda. They ended up near homes in the Valentine Lake Estates subdivision, according to Wauconda police Sgt. Tim Burke.

"The neighbors and kids were getting a kick out of the horses out on the street," Burke said.

Wauconda and Lake County sheriff's police helped get the horses corralled in a preserve area near the subdivision. They were then directed back to the nearby horse farm stable, a little more than an hour after they were reported to have escaped.