Vernon Hills softball coach detained on sexual assault charges as more alleged victims come forward
A Vernon Hills softball coach will remain behind bars on charges of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl as two more alleged victims came forward, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Eddie Acosta-Gonzalez appeared in Lake County court for a detention hearing. Prosecutors said the two new possible victims described very similar behavior reported by the 12-year-old girl in the charges he faces.
The girl said the assaults happened on two occasions, when "Coach Eddie" was giving her an "unwanted massage."
Police said they were contact by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services about a tip from the girl, who said the abuse happened when she was training at a Vernon Hills sports performance center where he rented space.
She told police on two separate occasions he gave her a massage, touching her breast and reaching under her shorts to massage her thigh. Prosecutors said the two alleged other victims described similar massages that were "sexual in nature."
Acosta-Gonzalez, who is a former pro baseball player, has been teaching young athletes for more than a decade. According to a bio written on him, he previously worked at Judson University, was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization, and coached youth programs like Top Tier Baseball and Gorilla Baseball.
When denying his release, the Lake County judge pointed to a "history of violence."
In 2024, Hoffman Estates police arrested Acosta-Gonzalez for domestic battery, but the charges were later dropped. In 2013, Vernon Hills police charged him with aggravated domestic battery that was later pled down to a misdemeanor.
"We will be continuing to fight for him, it's just the beginning for Coach Eddie," said his attorney Jason Fisher.
Fisher said the forensic interview of the 12-year-old victim was "unconventional." He said he just learned of the two other former student athletes who have come forward, and didn't know enough about their allegations to comment.
"The state has the cards, we have to play the deck that they bring to court and we learned that just this afternoon. We're here to, of course, see what evidence they have to support it and like I said the fight's just beginning," said Fisher.
Fisher said Acosta-Gonzalez should have been a candidate for electronic monitoring, but the Lake County Court does not have the resources for that. He will instead remain behind bars until at least his next court date on Sept. 25.
