(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — One of the two men charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Highland Park man in September 2022 will likely argue self-defense, his attorney said during a court appearance.
During a court hearing, prosecutors detailed the injuries suffered by the men charged with the murder of 45-year-old Matthew Ascaridis.
Jacob Firestone, 19, needed surgery to treat a traumatic brain injury. Nicholas Caban, 20, had cuts on his neck and head that required stitches.
They were confronted by Ascaridid on the beach outside his home late at night over noise. Firestone and Caban admitted there was a fight.
Jed Stone, Firestone’s attorney, said Ascaridis hit them with a flashlight.
Hours later, the older man’s body was found on a Lake Michigan beach near the edge of the water.
His neck was broken, and the medical examiner said there were signs of drowning. The men said they left him on the beach after he lost consciousness.
The Daily Herald reports that Stone argued the injuries to the younger men had to come first.
Stone asked for a lower bond so Firestone could continue to see a brain surgeon. The judge set bond at $2 million, with $200,000 required to get out.
Firestone’s next court date is scheduled for April 13.
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