Zion Woman Arrested For Unlawful Restraint, Endangerment Of Children

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A Zion woman wanted for more than two years has been taken into custody for endangering the lives of two children by locking them in a bedroom “for extended periods of time.”

Nydia E. Velazquez, 45, of the 2300 block of Elizabeth Avenue in Zion, was arrested on Thursday, jail records show.

She is facing charges of two counts of unlawful restraint, a Class 4 felony, and two counts of endangering the life or health of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.

Court documents show a Lake County judge approved an arrest warrant on June 28, 2019, for Velazquez.

The Zion Police Department investigated the allegations against Velazquez, which they found involved a male juvenile and a female juvenile.

Velazquez allegedly locked the two children in a bedroom for extended periods of time.

Court documents said the restraint of the children put their lives in danger due to the room having “no route of escape.”

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Police have not released any additional details in the case, which alleges Velazquez committed the offenses between November 2018 and May 2019.

Velazquez remains held in the Lake County Jail after Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered her held on a $75,000 bond.

She would need to post $7,500 in order to be released. Velazquez is also ordered to have no contact with the two children if she is released on bond.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 27.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.