April 08--A man and woman have been charged with kidnapping after police said they took a woman from her Gurnee home by force.
Authorities said the pair took the 56-year-old woman back to their Waukegan apartment at knifepoint last month in a scheme to get her to return property that they claimed belonged to them.
The woman suffered unspecified injuries in the attack but is recovering, according to Gurnee police.
Stephen Sims, 24, was charged with multiple counts of aggravated kidnapping, along with aggravated battery and aggravated unlawful restraint, officials said. Nicole Werchek, 22, was charged with kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to authorities.
Gurnee Deputy Chief William Meyer said his department received a 911 call from a witness who reported seeing the woman being forcibly removed from her Wedgewood Avenue apartment about 6:25 p.m. March 9.
Police tracked the suspects to their Waukegan residence and arrested them there later that evening without incident, Meyer said. The case did not come to light until Sims and Werchek were formally indicted this week.
Authorities did not release other details of the alleged crime, including what property was in dispute or how the suspects knew the victim.
Officials said Sims was being held Thursday in Lake County Jail on $250,000 bond; Werchek has been released on $100,000 bond.
rmccoppin@tribpub.com
