Deputies rescue combative, suicidal teen from fourth-floor of parking garage

DEERFIELD (STMW) - Lake County sheriff’s deputies saved a combative teenager from jumping from the fourth-floor of parking garage Tuesday night in northwest suburban Deer Park.

About 9 p.m., a deputy was patrolling the garage in the 21400 block of West Lake Cook Road in Deer Park and found a suspicious vehicle on the fifth floor, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.

The vehicle was occupied by two teens, and one of them admitted to smoking cannabis, police said. No cannabis or drug paraphernalia was located, and the parents of both teens were called.

One of the teens left with his parents, and the parents of the other teen drove down to the fourth floor of the garage and parked to discuss the situation, police said.

The teen then started battering his mother, ran from the vehicle and jumped over the side of the parking garage, police said. He held onto the ledge and dangled four stories above the ground and began making suicidal statements.

Two deputies tried to pull the teen from the garage, but he resisted their attempts to pull him to safety.

Eventually, the deputies were able to pull the boy to safety but he became combative, police said.In the ensuing scuffle, one of the deputies suffered possible broken bones and was taken to a hospital, police said.

The boy was finally taken into custody, the taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Charge were pending against the teen as of Thursday morning.