Lake Zurich police officers responded about 2:17 a.m. Saturday, January 10, 2026 to an alarm activation at Casey’s Convenience Store at 650 South Rand Road in Lake Zurich. Police officers learned that an offender had gained access by discharging a firearm through a glass door, and discovered that the business appeared to have been burglarized.
The investigation later determined the suspect was a resident of the 200 block of Whitney Road in Lake Zurich — a manufactured home neighborhood “South Shore Village” near the south shore of Lake Zurich and near the intersection of Whitney Road and Route 22. At approximately 11:00 AM, officers attempted to contact the suspect at his home, but the suspect refused to exit. Due to the suspect being barricaded and the known presence of a firearm at the location, the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team was activated and responded to the scene.
After several hours of negotiation with a large amount of tactical police officer and equipment assigned to the scene, the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
The suspect was identified as Merrick A. Pollack, 47, of Lake Zurich.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the following charges against Pollack:
Armed Violence (Class X Felony)
Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon – 3 counts (all Class 4 Felonies)
Burglary (Class 2 Felony)
Pollack was transported to a hospital for minor injuries and remains in custody of the Lake Zurich Police Department.
This incident remains under investigation by the Lake Zurich Police Department.
The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
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