Nov. 14--The man who led police on a wild chase through the northwest suburbs was charged Friday afternoon with attempted murder, leaving the scene of personal injury, aggravated assault and seven other charges.
Ronald Q. Maas, 18, of Ingleside, stole a car, rolled it over, then stole a truck, picked up a 15-year-old girl, struck pursuing police cars, was shot in the face by an officer and was arrested after he collided with a car head-on while fleeing at speeds of more than 80 mph, police said Friday.
Officers finally caught up with Maas, who had an outstanding felony warrant for burglary, after someone heard him "moaning" near a barn along State Route 45 between Dada Drive and Rollins Road. He was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the cheek and had a broken arm, but was still trying to start a work truck, according to Lake County sheriff's police.
Besides Maas, three other people were injured. The 15-year-old girl suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening, but the two people in the other car involved in the head-on collision suffered more serious injuries, police said. All were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Maas went into surgery at 10 a.m., according to Major Crime Task Force Cmdr. George Filenko.
The chase began at about 10:50 p.m. Thursday in Round Lake when a police officer attempted to pull over a car that had been reported stolen. "The car gets away," said Lake County Undersheriff Raymond Rose.
Lake Villa police found the car, flipped over, on Route 83 and the driver gone. Police said Maas then stole a Ford F350 pickup truck near the 200 block of Burnett in Lake Villa, stopped by a home in the town to pick up the girl and sped off.
Around 11:15 p.m., a Lake County deputy spotted the truck at Petite Lake and Old Petite Lake roads and pursued for a short stretch, police said.
Around 11:30 p.m., two sheriff's deputies at Route 134 and Forest Avenue in Ingleside spotted the truck speeding toward them, police said. The truck turned around and headed toward the deputies, but they were able to get out of the way, police said.
Maas hit another truck head-on, put his truck in reverse and sped toward one of the deputies and hit the squad car with the deputy inside, police said. Maas then went forward and hit the other truck again and then put the truck back in reverse toward the deputies one more time, police said.
"At this time, a Round Lake Heights officer discharged his duty weapon," police said in a statement, but Maas was able to drive away.
Around 12:25 a.m. Friday, Grayslake police saw the truck on Route 45 off Route 120 and tried to stop it, but the truck sped away at more than 80 mph, police said. The truck crossed the centerline on Route 45 and collided with a 2013 Chevy Spark, police said.
The truck rolled over and Maas ran off, police said. Aerial footage shows the truck on its roof and the Spark's front end nearly gone.
The final crash occurred in front of J and B Ranch, 35357 Route 45, in unincorporated Third Lake.
One of the ranch owners, who asked not to be identified, said the crash woke her and her daughter.
"We heard the crash, it was a huge crash," she said.
"Then my daughter said she could hear someone screaming and banging on something in the barn," she said.
The woman called police about 1:20 a.m. and they were able to take Maas into custody before he could drive away in a truck he'd found near the barn.
As of 9:55 a.m., all crash sites had been cleared by police.
The Chicago Tribune Media Group's Lake County News-Sun contributed to this report.
