Latest news with #Yakel
Chicago Tribune
30-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Judge rejects doubling bond for man charged with drunkenly driving against Lake Station parade
A judge rejected a Lake County deputy prosecutor's bid Wednesday to double Richard Yakel's bond to $15,000 for allegedly driving drunk against the Lake Station Independence Day parade. Yakel, 56, of Portage, is charged with felony battery by means of a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement and four misdemeanor counts that include resisting law enforcement, operating while intoxicated, and reckless driving. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors also filed Tuesday to add a Habitual Vehicular Substance Offender, which would add one to eight more years if he is convicted since it's his fourth OWI case. His trial is currently set for December. In testimony, Lake Station Police Officer Chance Boney recapped what happened at the July 3 parade. Charging documents allege Yakel came 'extremely close' to hitting several groups of people, clipped Lake Station Fire Chief Chuck Fazekas' back with his vehicle's mirror and came two feet from hitting a three-year-old girl collecting candy in the grass. His BAC was 0.355%, the detective said – over four times the legal limit. Deputy Prosecutor Madeline Clement argued Yakel was a flight risk and danger to the community. Defense lawyer Lonnie Randolph II retorted that paying a $150,000, or $15,000 cash bond, was setting the bar so high that no reasonable person could afford it — essentially keeping any poor person in jail. He admitted Yakel had OWI cases from 1994, 2008 and 2014. Clement argued it was a pattern. Judge Salvador Vasquez agreed with Randolph, saying he couldn't remember a move to hike a bond like that in over a decade. However, if Yakel posted bond, he ordered him to be on a SCRAM monitor to track his drinking and home detention. Randolph also argued his client's SUV could have had 'mechanical problems' that explained why he didn't stop when a police officer tried to pull him over. Vasquez ordered that the vehicle be checked out at a Portage home at a later date.
Global News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Global News
4 members of Winnipeg Goldeyes named to all-star team
At least four members of the club will be representing the Winnipeg Goldeyes at this year's annual American Association All-Star Game. First baseman Matthew Warkentin and outfielder Max Murphy were both chosen as starters for the West Division All-Star Team, while relief pitchers Tasker Strobel and Ryder Yakel were also named to the squad. A fifth player off the Goldeyes could also be attending as starting pitcher Mitchell Lambson is one of six players from the West Division up for the last man in fan vote. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Warkentin was just named the American Association batter of the week on Monday. He leads the Fish with 11 home runs and 36 runs batted in. He is also second on the team with a .291 batting average. Murphy is second on the Goldeyes with nine dingers and is batting .264 through 50 games. Story continues below advertisement Strobel and Yakel lead the Goldeyes' pitching staff with 23 appearances each. Strobel has a team-leading earned run average of 2.07, with Yakel right behind him with a 2.34 ERA in 38 innings pitched. Lambson has a 6-1 record in his sixth season with the Goldeyes and is unbeaten in his last five straight starts. Fans can vote for Lambson here until 10:00 p.m. on Thursday. This year's festivities are in Fargo, North Dakota. The All-Star Skills Competition and Home Run Derby are scheduled for July 21st with the all-star game to be played the following night.
Chicago Tribune
07-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
‘I'm sorry, man. I'm just drunk': Portage man allegedly drives wrong way in Lake Station parade, clipping fire chief and nearly hitting toddler
A Portage man was charged with multiple low-level felonies over the weekend after police alleged he drove the wrong way in the July 4th parade route in Lake Station with a blood-alcohol level of more than four times the legal limit. Richard Yakel, 56, is charged with battery by means of a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon, resisting law enforcement and four misdemeanors. He is in custody, ordered to be held without bail until July 22, when it will be reset to $7,500 cash surety. He was appointed a public defender Monday, records show. Charging documents allege he came 'extremely close' to hitting several groups of people, clipped Lake Station Fire Chief Chuck Fazekas with his vehicle's mirror and came two feet from hitting a two-year-old girl collecting candy in the grass. Fazekas said Monday he had never seen anything like that at the parade. A gunman killed seven people and wounded more than 30 at the Highland Park, Illinois, July 4th parade in 2022. 'Is this guy going to try (to run people over)?' he said. 'We've had quite a few of these (across the country).' Lake Station hasn't 'had any formal discussions yet' on what they may learn from the incident, he said. Fazekas urged residents to 'just be alert,' 'yell,' 'warn others and get out of the way,' and 'get to a safe space.' 'We're (lucky) that it didn't come to anything like that,' he said. When Yakel left, he clipped Fazekas in the left ribs and back. By Monday, he was 'doing ok.' Lake Station Mayor Bill Carroll couldn't be immediately reached Monday. After his arrest, Yakel asked in a squad car about his charges. 'I'm not worried about that. That'll just get dismissed,' he replied. Records show Yakel was on bond for a 2018 domestic battery case. New Chicago Det. Bradley Rivera wrote he was cruising in the parade around 5:30 p.m. July 3 when an 'older' model red Ford Expedition was driving the opposite way, even though Central Avenue was blocked off and the parade was still going on. Several people were trying to flag him down. Rivera made a U-turn, but Yakel didn't pull over for 6-9 blocks, according to the affidavit. When the vehicle slowed for a group of kids, Rivera boxed him in. He yelled for Yakel to put the SUV in park. Yakel responded after Rivera drew his gun. He refused to get out of the vehicle. Rivera pulled him out, then forced him to sit down. Yakel had bloodshot, watery eyes. He claimed he drank six beers. A woman told officers that he nearly hit a 2-year-old girl. 'I'm sorry man, I'm just drunk,' Yakel told police. He failed several field sobriety tests at the jail — including the one-leg stand. Lake Station Ofr. C. Boney got a warrant for a blood draw. His blood alcohol content came back at 0.355% — more than four times the legal limit. Yakel told police he was watching the parade near Central Avenue and Grand Boulevard when he decided to leave, knowing the parade was still going on. He claimed he only went a 'few' blocks before he pulled over for police. He then claimed he only had two 'tall' beers. Fazekas told police that he was near Hamilton and Lake when he overheard the passenger tell Yakel to speed off.
