Two men sentenced in beating death of Highland Park man over noise complaint at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve

Two men have been sentenced to prison in the beating death of another man who had confronted them about making noise at a beach in Chicago's northern suburbs.

In April, a Lake County jury convicted 24-year-old Nicholas Caban and 22-year-old Jacob Firestone of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of 45-year-old Matthew Ascaridis. 

Authorities have said, on Sept. 17, 2022, Ascaridis, a businessman and father who lived in Highland Park near the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, went outside to speak with neighbors who were being loud on the lakeshore around 1 a.m., and it escalated into a violent confrontation.

Four hours later, a passerby found Ascaridis' body partially submerged in water and called 911.

Around the same time, Caban and Firestone also called 911, claiming they both needed medical attention, and saying they had been involved in a confrontation with Ascaridis hours before.

Both men were taken to the hospital, and authorities obtained a search warrant for Caban's home, where they found a gun with a defaced serial number.

Initially, Caban was arrested on felony weapons charges and Firestone was arrested on obstruction charges.

In March 2023, both men were charged with killing Ascaridis.

Following their conviction, a Lake County judge sentenced Caban to 18 years in prison and Firestone to 14 years in prison. Both men faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.

During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Lake County prosecutors noted that Caban raised his middle finger toward the audience in the courtroom after the verdict against him was announced, arguing the gesture showed a lack of remorse.

Both men are being held at the Lake County Jail until they are transferred to a state prison.