$1M Bond For Man Charged With Brutal Attack On Friend
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (STMW) -- A Wisconsin man is being held on a $1 million bond after being charged with leaving a friend critically injured after a brutal robbery attempt Sunday near north suburban Antioch.
Just before 1 p.m. Sunday, Lake County Sheriff's officers responded to call of an injured man on Crawford Road, just south of Route 173 in unincorporated Newport Township, about 5 miles west of Antioch.
A passing motorist saw a man leaving the area with blood on him, and then saw the victim lying in the woods bleeding, according to a statement from sheriff's police.
Newport Rescue took the victim to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, suffering from a cut throat, bleeding on the brain, slashed eyelids, cut wrists, a dislocated shoulder, and broken tibia and fibia, according to police.
Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Sara Balmes said Monday the victim, who is also from Wisconsin, suffered injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
He was attacked with a "corkscrew bottle opener with a 1-inch knife," she said.
Sheriff's deputies saw Michael Highsmith, 24, of Milwaukee, Wis., attempting to drive away from the scene, and he was arrested, Balmes said.
Highsmith told detectives that he had been friends with the victim for more than four years, and that he attacked him to steal his jewelry, Balmes said.
Among the items stolen was a gold a ring, found in Highsmith's possession, Balmes said. Officers also found a gold necklace at the scene that had been pulled off victim's neck, and found the victim's wallet in the vehicle Highsmith was arrested in, she said.
He was charged him with attempted murder, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and armed robbery, according to police.
Highsmith is being held at the Lake County Jail on a $1 million bond, and his next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 7 in Waukegan.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
