Verdict in Mundelein kidnapping, assault case to come Thursday
A Lake County judge will rule next week on the fate of a man accused in the kidnapping and sexual assault a Mundelein child three years ago.
Judge Mark Levitt will reconvene the trial of Jose Reyes, 31, of Chicago on Thursday to announce his verdict. Reyes is charged with varying counts of aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, predatory criminal sexual assault, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography in the case. He's held in Lake County jail in lieu of $5 million bail.
"Jose Reyes is every parent's worst nightmare," Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata said during closing arguments Friday.
Reyes, 31, is accused by police of approaching the 3-year-old victim and her 9-year-old sister about 5 p.m. Sept. 30, 2013, near the entrance of Deepwoods Apartment Complex on the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive.
He initially offered the girls a lollipop, but it was refused, authorities said. Reyes left and drove around the complex, but returned and stopped the car near the girls.
Reyes allegedly grabbed the younger girl, buckled her in the front seat and drove off while her sister screamed for help, authorities said.
The child was molested in the car by Reyes, authorities said, then dropped off in a nearby parking lot about a half-hour later. A woman heard the girl crying and walked her to police, who reunited her with her parents, authorities said. The victim was taken to a hospital to be tested.
Kalata said the evidence against Reyes is overwhelming. It includes cellphone video and pictures of the sexual assault, video surveillance showing the girl being dropped off in the parking lot, DNA tests, eyewitness statements, GPS routes stored in the vehicle, and the discovery of the same candy in the car used in the attempt to lure the girls.
"The defendant abducted (the victim) for no other reason than he wanted to and could," Kalata said. "The evidence in this case is clear, straightforward and overwhelming."
But, defense attorney Eric Rinehart said reasonable doubt exists because of a lack of key evidence.
He said a witness did not accurately pick Reyes out of a picture lineup, the sketch rendering of the suspect police said they were looking for did not resemble Reyes, and a witness who saw the victim dropped off in a parking lot did not accurately identify the type of car Reyes owned.
Rinehart said the rest of the evidence fits too perfectly, and police needed to wrap the case up quickly to calm public hysteria.
"This was a big case to the Mundelein Police Department, and big case for the Lake County state's attorney's office," he said. "The reason is because this victim was so young, so innocent, and so vulnerable."