Burglaries at Crystal Lake businesses lead to 34 charges against Zion man

A 24-year-old Zion man faces 34 charges tied to a series of burglaries at Crystal Lake businesses in January and February, court records show.

Kwantrell C. Williams was charged with six counts of burglary, five counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of theft, four counts of stolen property, six counts of criminal damage to property, five counts of possession of burglary tools, five counts of possession of a stolen license plate and aggravated fleeing or eluding police officer, according to the criminal complaint filed Monday in McHenry County.

Williams is accused of entering a series of Crystal Lake businesses on Jan. 14 with the intent to commit theft, using bricks to break the windows or glass door at the businesses, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that Williams first entered the Firestone Complete Auto Care at 6325 Northwest Highway about 4 a.m. Jan. 24, followed by the Swift Wash, 161 Liberty Road; Discount Muffler and Brake, 80 E. Berkshire Drive; and BMO Harris, 5545 Northwest Highway.

At all of those times, he is accused of possessing a 2015 Honda Accord he knew was stolen, according to the complaint.

He is charged with the theft of automotive diagnostic computers, worth between $500 and $10,000, from the Firestone; cash and an iPod from Swift Wash; and an automotive battery charger, worth less than $500, from Discount Muffler and Brake, according to the complaint.

A police officer tried to pull Williams over about 5 a.m. Jan. 24, according to the complaint, which alleges he refused to pull over.

Then about 2:15 a.m. Jan. 31, the complaint alleges Williams again entered the Firestone Complete Auto Care on Northwest Highway and then about 4 a.m. Feb. 24 went into Little House of Cars, 805 E. Terra Cotta Ave.

He is charged with taking a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 2015 Audi A4, each worth between $10,000 and $100,000, as well as a camera, vehicle key fobs and equipment batteries, worth a total of $500 to $10,000, from Little House of Cars, according to the complaint.

His bond was set at $75,000, of which 10% would need to be posted to secure Williams’ release. A public defender’s request to reduce that amount was denied Thursday by McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge, court records show.

An attempt to reach Williams’ public defender Friday was not successful.

The next court date in this case was set for April 20. The most serious charges against Williams are Class 2 felonies, which typically carry sentences of three to seven years in prison.

Another case involving Williams, in which he has pleaded not guilty to four counts of burglary, also is pending, court records show. In that case, he is accused of entering four units at 647 Teckler Boulevard in Crystal Lake in June 2020 with the intent to commit theft.

He was convicted of retail theft twice in Lake County, once in 2016 and again in 2018, as well as burglary in 2017, also in Lake County, according to a motion filed by prosecutors in the Teckler Boulevard case.