Island Lake man detained by police ran from hospital, tracked down by K-9 unit

An Island Lake man arrested on an aggravated domestic battery charge early Sunday was taken to a Barrington hospital, ran from staff, and was tracked down by a Lake County K-9 unit and rearrested.

According to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Jaime C. Romero, 51, of the 800 block of North Constitution Avenue in Island Lake was arrested by a local police department early Sunday.

He was taken to a Barrington-area hospital for unspecified treatment, according to the release.

As Romero was being taken inside the hospital about 5:20 a.m., he fled on foot. Hospital staff notified authorities, who called in K-9 Dax and the dog’s handler, Deputy John Forlenza.

While tracking Romero through the hospital parking lot, Lake County dispatchers received a call for a burglar alarm at an orthopedic doctor’s office in the 27400 block of Route 22, where the K-9 team had tracked Romero’s scent. A door at the office was found open, according to the release.

After giving Romero an opportunity to surrender, Dax, a German shepherd, was released into the building, according to the release. The dog bit Romero in the leg.

“Romero punched K-9 Dax, but as is common with K-9 Dax, he was not fazed by Romero’s strikes,” according to the release.

After treatment for the dog bite, Romero was taken to the Lake County jail. He is charged with two counts of aggravated domestic battery, striking a police animal, resisting arrest and criminal trespass to a building. Romero also has an active warrant out of Kane County, according to the release.