Round Lake Beach police charged 35-year-old Jason Karels with killing his three children during a weekend visit on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Karels appeared in court and was ordered to be held on $10 million bail. The State's Attorney is filing a motion to deny Karels' bond, the hearing for which will take place on June 21.
Round Lake Beach Police Chief Gilbert Rivera said Karels had shared custody of the children, who were 2, 3, and 5 years old.
Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton of the Lake County Coroner’s Office said preliminary autopsy results showed all three children died as a result of drowning.
Rivera said the children’s mother asked Round Lake Beach police to perform a wellness check Tuesday morning.
When police arrived, Rivera said they "discovered the deceased at the scene."
Rivera said Karels led police on a chase, after which Karels crashed his car in the woods. Following the chase, Karels confessed to killing his children.
“After the crash, Karels made statements to police officers involved in the chase … indicating he was responsible for the death of the children at the Round Lake Beach home,” Rivera said.
Police would not reveal if Karel said why he killed his children. Rivera said investigators are not aware of any history of abuse of the children, or if Karels had any history of mental illness, or a criminal history.
"This is a devastating case for our community, and we are resolved to achieve justice for these three innocent children," State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
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