Oak Park man twice tries, fails to escape Lake County authorities

An Oak Park man who attempted to flee from Lake County authorities twice Tuesday - first from a courtroom, then from jail - has been charged with felony counts of escape and aggravated battery to a peace officer, according to the sheriff's office.

Anthony C. Cauley, 29, had been charged in July with aggravated battery of a peace officer in Deerfield and was out on bail. He was in court Tuesday after violating his bail conditions and, when the judge ruled Cauley would have to return to jail, he fled the courtroom, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the Lake County sheriff's office.

Cauley was pursued by a court security officer and a Highland Park police sergeant who was in the courtroom for a different case, the release said. Cauley ran into the hallway and directly into the sergeant, elbowing him in the head, the release said. Cauley was tackled and taken into custody by the officers.

Cauley was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution. After the first escape attempt, prosecutors charged Cauley with felony counts of escape and aggravated battery to a peace officer, the release said.

Authorities said Cauley attempted escape later Tuesday while being processed at the jail. As officers were moving a different inmate, Cauley fled through an open interior door but was tackled before he could leave the jail building, according to officials.

Additional charges are pending, according to the release.

"This is an example of the unpredictability nature of what our staff encounter on a daily basis," Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in the release. "I am thankful the Highland Park Sergeant was not seriously injured and thankful my staff was not injured."