Suburban man allegedly threatened his family with knife after learning of eviction

BEACH PARK, Ill. - A Beach Park man was arrested Monday after allegedly threatening his family with a knife upon learning he was being evicted.

Keith MacDonald, 33, faces several charges, including aggravated battery to a person over 60, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and child endangerment. Authorities said a one-year-old child was present during the incident.

The confrontation unfolded around 4:25 p.m. at a home on North Lewis Avenue. According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, a 911 caller reported that MacDonald had armed himself with a knife and was threatening to kill everyone inside, saying they were "going to die."

When deputies arrived, they looked through a window and saw MacDonald standing over an elderly woman lying on the floor. Believing she was in immediate danger, deputies forced their way through the locked front door, tackled MacDonald and took him into custody.

Further investigation revealed that MacDonald had become enraged after learning his family planned to evict him. He allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began chasing a woman through the house, threatening to kill her.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to detain MacDonald until trial. He appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge scheduled a detention hearing for Wednesday afternoon.