McHenry Co. woman makes bizarre court appearance on charges in child's death
WOODSTOCK, Ill. (CBS) -- Prosecutors say a McHenry County woman's supply of fentanyl was responsible for the death of a 14-year-old boy Wednesday morning in far northwest suburban Richmond, Illinois.
The woman, 45-year-old Cara Ullrich, appeared in McHenry County Court in a bizarre appearance on Friday. She originally told county sheriff's deputies she refused to come to court, and refused to speak to an attorney.
It thus took more than an hour for Ullrich to make her court appearance. But she was finally escorted into the courthouse, and was to remain behind bars Friday night.
On Wednesday, Jan. 3, just before 11 a.m., McHenry County Sheriff's police were called to a house in the 9600 block of Hillandale Lane in Richmond - where prosecutors say the 45-year-old Ullrich lives.
They found a deceased 14-year-old boy in the house with a bag of fentanyl in his room. Police found fentanyl, cocaine, and Narcan in the house.
Prosecutors said Ullrich was hiding in a bathtub because she knew she had at least two outstanding warrants related to 2020 charges for violating an order of protection and domestic battery.
She also had a warrant for failing to appear for a 2021 aggravated battery charge.
Prosecutors said Ullrich admitted to having purchased fentanyl recently. She ran from police, and had to be tackled by law enforcement before being taken into custody and charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled substance and endangering the life or health of a child.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said it has had previous contact with the family. The last time was in 2019 – in a case involving substance misuse, and concerns about the risk of physical injury to a child and neglect.
It is unclear how that case was resolved.
Prosecutors said this case was not eligible for detention due to the new state law, but Ullrich will be held on her previous warrants.
It was unclear how Ullrich, who sobbed hysterically when the proffer against her was first read by a prosecutor in court, was related to the boy who died. But prosecutors said her ex-husband and another 13-year-old boy was also living in the house at the time.
