(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Two men have been charged with second-degree murder in Lake County six months after a Highland Park man was fatally injured in an altercation on the lakefront at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.
Authorities had previously leveled less serious criminal charges against Nicholas Caban, 20, and Jacob Firestone, 19, following the Sept. 17 death of 45-year-old Matthew Ascaridis.
Investigators had determined Ascaridis had a violent confrontation with Caban and Fireston that resulted in his death on a beach near his home, officials said. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart credited a variety of agencies with moving the case forward.
“We have kept the family apprised at all times regarding the course of the investigation, and we will continue to support them after this brutal attack took their husband, brother, father, son, and friend,” he said in a news release.
Caban and Firestone, who had bonded out on earlier charges, were arrested Thursday on charges of second-degree murder. They are expected in court Friday to have new bonds set, officials said.
Authorities said they found a semiautomatic gun in Caban’s bedroom, and he had been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Firestone had been charged with two counts of obstructing justice, allegedly for attempting to conceal evidence after the death of Ascaridis.
Published reports suggest residents who live in homes along the lakefront have had problems with young partiers on the beach.
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