Judge hikes bond in stalking case

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WOODSTOCK – A Carpentersville man accused of stalking his estranged wife said he merely was delivering flowers to his daughter when he violated an order of protection.

LeRoy Leske Jr., 45, admitted Monday to violating a protection order in one of the four instances that comprise the two aggravated-stalking cases he is facing. Judge Sharon Prather denied prosecutors’ request to hold him without bail but raised his bond amount so he will have to post $50,000 more if he wants to get out of jail while the cases are pending.

From the witness stand, Leske, of 112 Pecos Lane, denied telling his wife Oct. 10 that she should watch herself because he had “a new toy” and would take her down with him.

He wife said she thought that meant he had a gun, which he denied.

But Leske acknowledged that he tossed flowers for his daughter on the porch of his wife’s Crystal Lake home Nov. 2 despite an order of protection instructing him to stay at least 200 feet away from the home or his wife.

He said he promised his young daughter he would bring her flowers if she played well at her final soccer game of the season, which was the day before.

“I made a promise to my daughter,” Leske said. “I kept my promise.”

His estranged wife said she saw him sitting outside her Crystal Lake home Oct. 30 when she picked up his two biological children from the police department as part of a visitation exchange. Prosecutors said that his older, adopted daughter saw him driving near her Crystal Lake home Dec. 12. Leske denied both allegations.

His estranged wife said she saw him drive by her friend’s home Dec. 20 about four times, at least once shouting at her. Leske said he saw her when drove along the busy street to go to his sister’s house, but he denied making multiple trips along the road or saying anything to her.

Prosecutors said the allegations illustrated that Leske habitually defied court orders and presented a physical danger to his wife, who defense attorney Stephen Haugh said simply called police before her husband was scheduled to visit their two younger children.

“We have a very vengeful lady here,” Haugh said of the wife. “We have a lady who calls the police every time he’s about to receive his visitation.”

Prather said evidence of a physical threat was weak but ruled that Leske either was unwilling or unable to follow the orders of protection. So she raised the combined bail on the two cases to $600,000, which means $60,000 must be posted. Leske already had posted $10,000 before Judge Joseph Condon issued a no-bond warrant for his arrest Friday.

The cases are next due in court Monday.