Man who skipped court 25 years ago after Cary beating charge was just rearrested - and then released again

A Carpentersville man who was charged in the beating of another man 25 years ago – and then didn’t show up for court – has been arrested after an Algonquin traffic stop.

Baltazar Huerta-Ruiz, 51, is charged with aggravated battery with a weapon, a Class 3 felony, as well as three counts of mob action, according to documents in McHenry County court.

Huerta-Ruiz and five family members are named in the criminal complaint, which alleges that they beat three men with baseball bats May 6, 2000, in Cary.

According to published reports at the time, one of the men was attacked by the group for breaking off an arranged marriage with one of the suspects’ family members.

A Northwest Herald story reported that police said in 2000 that a tire iron and broken bottles also were used in the fight. The fight occurred outside a house in the 7500 block of Silver Lake Road, and someone who lived there called police.

On May 9, 2000, Huerta-Ruiz posted 10% of a $25,000 bond on the aggravated battery and mob action charges and was released from the McHenry County jail. He failed to appear for a court hearing in the case July 18, 2000, and an arrest warrant was issued, court records show.

In January, Huerta-Ruiz was pulled over for a traffic violation in Algonquin, according to court records. He was cited for not having a valid driver’s license and having never been issued one, according to the complaint. When the officer ran his name and saw the arrest warrant for his felony case, Huerta-Ruiz was taken into custody, said Timothy Cooney, deputy chief of operations for the Algonquin Police Department.

It is unknown why Huerta-Ruiz wasn’t taken into cu stody earlier or where he was for the past 25 years, Cary Police Chief Patrick Finlon said.

On Jan. 15, Huerta-Ruiz made an initial appearance before Judge Tiffany Davis, who granted his pretrial release from jail with conditions. He is not to leave the state without permission from the court and was ordered to have no contact with the co-defendants or complaining witnesses, according to a court order. Davis recused herself from the case, citing in an order that she had prosecuted the co-defendants in the case.

The five other defendants named in the case all were convicted and sentenced to probation and fines. They also were ordered to pay restitution, records show. Huerta-Ruiz is due in court March 21. His attorney could not be reached for comment.