2 people charged in drive-by shooting in Marengo; kids in the car when gun shot at house, police say

Two people have been arrested and charged in connection with what Marengo police said was a drive-by shooting that occurred last month while two children were in the vehicle involved, authorities said in a news release sent Friday.

Jacob A. Mains, 24, of the 600 block of McKinley Avenue in Belvidere, was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of endangering the life or health of a child.

Jennifer M. Luttrell, 36, of the 500 block of Kennedy Drive, Marengo, was charged with obstructing justice and three counts of endangering the life or health of a child, according to police and McHenry County court records.

The events leading to the recent arrests occurred Oct. 26, Marengo police said, when they responded about 9 p.m. to a report of a person with a gun in the 500 block of Kennedy Drive.

Marengo officers and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office found “multiple bullet holes in the exterior of the residence and were unable to make contact with anyone there,” according to the news release from police.

A “short time later,” Belvidere police made contact with a person with non-life-threatening injuries they determined might have occurred at the Marengo home.

According to the release, Marengo police believe a man had pistol-whipped a woman at the Marengo residence, left and then drove back and fired “multiple rounds at the residence” before fleeing the scene.

There were two children in the car at the time, ages 3 and 13, according to court documents.

During the investigation, officers were able to identify Mains and Luttrell and arrested them Wednesday morning and afternoon, respectively, police said.

Mains was denied a pretrial release for posing a “real and present threat to the safety of any person(s) or the community,” according to court records.

He is being held at the McHenry County jail.

Mains is set for a preliminary hearing Monday, according to court documents.

Luttrell was arrested and released from Marengo police custody that day, authorities said. She is due in court Wednesday.

According to court documents, the child endangerment charges against her stem from allegations that the two children were in the car at the time of the shooting, and that Luttrell allegedly had “drugs, including white powder” in her residence and that she “allowed a female ... at her residence who [was] under the influence of ‘something’ and [was] nodding off and sleepy” to care for the older child.

The case still is under investigation. Marengo police asked that anyone who has any information that could be relevant to the case call 815-568-7231.