Illinois
Married Illinois teacher, 30, says she was accused of molesting boy, 15, because she’s ‘good looking’
A married Illinois special education teacher accused of molesting a 15-year-old student told police that she’s being set up by the teen — and that she was targeted for being “good looking.”
Christina Formella, 30, a teacher and soccer coach at Downers Grove South High School, insisted to cops she’s a “good person,” but that “everybody” comes after her because of her looks, according to documents obtained by WGN9.
The sporty dirty blonde denied having sex with the teenage student, and said that he accused her of having an inappropriate relationship with him because she “cared too much about him,” the documents show.
Formella — who married her college sweetheart in August last year — allegedly sexually assaulted the boy before the start of the school day in December 2023, DuPage County prosecutors said.
She claimed that the student had broken into her phone and used her number to send the inappropriate messages to her as a “blackmail” plot, investigators said.
“She claimed that one day, [the boy] had grabbed her phone unattended, had entered her passcode … had sent the message to his phone, had then deleted the message from her phone, and had saved it to his phone as blackmail,” the court documents read.
The messages were discovered last month by the victim’s mother after she bought him a new phone and linked it to his iCloud account, DuPage County prosecutors said.
Formella allegedly told the victim, “I love having sex with you,” in messages reportedly sent in 2023 when she was 28, court documents show.
“I know baby I love it so much … It feels so good … It’s so passionate … It’s so intimate … It’s so perfect,” the boy reportedly responded to Formella. “I love you so so much mama.”
Stay up to date on married teacher Christina Formella, accused of molesting boy, 15:
The relationship continued until the student broke it off, according to prosecutors.
When the messages were discovered, the mother took her son to Downers Grove police station and reported the alleged abuse.
Formella was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault, and was released on the condition that she not enter the school grounds or have contact with anybody under 18.
She has also been placed on paid leave from her job.
Students have been urged to come forward to police or the school if they saw anything dangerous or unusual, and authorities will take “all reports seriously,” Board of Education President Don Renner said on Monday in a statement to the board.
Formella has denied the allegations against her and insisted she never had sex with the student.
She earned her teaching license in 2017, shortly after leaving Concordia University Chicago, where she and her husband met as student athletes. He played baseball, she played soccer.
Formella had been teaching at Downers Grove High since 2020, according to her LinkedIn.
New bodycam footage shows Formella breaking down in tears during her arrest on March 16, according to a video published by the YouTube channel Ape Huncho.
“I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” she said, as she sobbed into her cuffed hands and pulled her knees up to her chest.
Formella’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 14.
Illinois
Illinois man charged with attempted murder after officer struck by vehicle
Antwan Ford | Chicago police
CHICAGO – A Ford Heights man has been charged after he allegedly struck and seriously injured a law enforcement officer with a vehicle while trying to flee arrest Tuesday on Chicago’s South Side.
What we know:
Antwan Ford, 27, was arrested Wednesday morning in Vernon Hills by Chicago police and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to police.
He is accused of hitting a member of the Cook County Fugitive Task Force with his vehicle as officers tried to apprehend him around 1:27 p.m. Tuesday in the 2500 block of East 74th Street in the South Shore neighborhood.
Ford was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery to a peace officer and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death, all felonies, police said.
The injured officer suffered serious injuries, though authorities have not released additional details.
What we don’t know:
It was not immediately clear why authorities were trying to arrest him.
What’s next:
Ford is scheduled for a detention hearing Friday.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Chicago Police Department.
Illinois
Pedestrian hit, killed by Metra train in Bensenville, MD-W line delayed, officials say
Thursday, December 4, 2025 10:11PM
A pedestrian was hit and killed by a Metra train Thursday in Bensenville, Illinois, officials said. The Metra MD-W line was extensively delayed.
BENSENVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — A pedestrian was hit and killed by a Metra train Thursday in a suburb near O’Hare Airport.
The crash happened around 1:13 p.m. at Church Road and Main Street near the Bensenville station, officials said.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The pedestrian died as a result of the crash, a Metra spokesperson said.
Bensenville police said the pedestrian was an adult male. His exact age and identity were not yet known.
The cause of the crash was also not yet known.
The Metra Milwaukee District West (MD-W) train line is operating but experiencing extensive delays as a result of the crash, Metra officials said.
No further information was immediately available.
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Illinois
Illinois man charged with having child porn, officials say
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. – A northwest suburban man has been arrested after he was allegedly found in possession of child pornography.
In October, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office was tipped off about the “possible possession of child pornography by an electronic service provider.” They began an investigation, which led them to a suspect, identified as 22-year-old Brian Lazaro.
On Dec. 2, a search warrant was executed in the 4000 block of Johnson Ave. in Crystal Lake, leading to felony charges against Lazaro.
He was charged with four counts of Possession of Child Pornography.
No further information was provided.
The Source: The information in this story came from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
-
Politics4 days agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Technology1 week agoNew scam sends fake Microsoft 365 login pages
-
News4 days agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
Ohio2 days ago
Who do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
World4 days agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Politics1 week agoRep. Swalwell’s suit alleges abuse of power, adds to scrutiny of Trump official’s mortgage probes
-
News1 week ago2 National Guard members wounded in ‘targeted’ attack in D.C., authorities say
-
Ohio1 week agoSnow set to surge across Northeast Ohio, threatening Thanksgiving travel