Gurnee man, 71, charged with attempted murder, arson

A 71-year-old Gurnee man has been charged with attempted murder and attempted residential arson after police said he tried to kill a woman and tampered with the natural gas lines in his house.

Richard Grybalow is also charged with two counts of aggravated domestic battery, one count of unlawful restraint and one count of fleeing and eluding.

Gurnee police officer Shawn Gaylor said a woman came to the police department about 11 a.m. Feb. 21 to report she'd been the victim of a domestic battery.

The woman told police Grybalow attacked her, held her against her will and tried to kill her soon after she entered the house on the 4400 block of Country Trail in Gurnee.

Officers went to the house to apprehend Grybalow, but he drove away, Gaylor said. The officers didn't pursue Grybalow for the safety of the other people in the neighborhood, Gaylor said, but they knew who he was and that they could obtain arrest warrants.

Around 1:20 p.m., the Gurnee Fire Department was called to the Country Trail house because someone nearby had smelled natural gas. Investigators found the natural gas lines had been tampered with and were leaking from several locations in the house, Gaylor said. No one was in the house when the leaks were discovered and repaired.

When asked why and when Grybalow may have tampered with the gas lines, Gaylor said the case is under investigation.

Investigators located Grybalow at 3:42 p.m., Gaylor said. Grybalow needed medical assistance, so the officers took him to a hospital where he was interviewed but not placed into custody, Gaylor said. Arrest warrants were issued the next day, Feb. 22, she said.

Grybalow was arrested without incident March 11 by members of the Lake County sheriff's office warrants team, and he was taken to Lake County jail, sheriff's Lt. Christopher Covelli said.

A judge set bail for Grybalow at $1.5 million. Grybalow remains in jail and is due back in court Friday.