Woman accused of lying to police about couple hiding in Lake in the Hills home gets supervision

A former Lake in the Hills woman charged last year with obstructing police, who were searching for a couple accused of abducting their daughter, pleaded to a lesser offense Friday and was sentenced to supervision.

Nathalia C. Cook, 35, who has since moved to Hampshire, initially was charged last year with obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony. Cook entered into a negotiated plea of guilty to a criminal misdemeanor charge of attempted obstruction of justice, according to the sentencing order in the McHenry County court.

Cook was sentenced to 18 months supervision. Should she successfully complete the terms of supervision, she could have the charge expunged from her record.

Cook was accused of hiding Jeffrey S. Cook, 58, and Jessica L. Walsh, 29, on May 28, 2024, after they were accused of abducting their 5-year-old girl from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Nathalia Cook was accused of “knowingly” provided false information to police regarding the couple’s whereabouts, according to the original criminal complaint.

Nathalia Cook had allegedly told police the couple were not inside her home. She instead directed officers to another home nearby, saying Jeffrey Cook was there “despite having active knowledge that he was inside her residence at the time of the incident,” the original complaint alleged.

The couple, formerly of Lake in the Hills and the child’s biological parents, was charged with child abduction. Jeffrey Cook also was charged with obstructing justice, court records show. Those cases are still pending and the couple have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said on May 23, 2024, caseworkers from DCFS went to Jeffrey Cook and Walsh’s home in response to a report of abuse and neglect. According to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court, an “investigation was underway” and DCFS “intended to take protective custody” of the child.

However, according to authorities, the couple did not let caseworkers see or take the child into custody, and the next day, the couple was informed that the child welfare agency had a warrant for the child. However, the couple left town with the girl and drove to southern Illinois, McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Anthony Marin said during a detention hearing following their arrest.

On May 28, the couple took the child to the DCFS office in Woodstock, where caseworkers wanted to interview her without her parents present, according to authorities. The couple “became uncooperative” and fled, Marin said. This prompted a statewide alert for the child.

Woodstock police responded to the DCFS office and learned the courts recently had appointed custody of the child to DCFS, according to a news release from the Woodstock Police Department. Police said the couple “took the child upon learning about the custody and fled Woodstock in a vehicle.”

Woodstock detectives were able to contact Jeffrey Cook, who “was uncooperative in returning the child,” police said. The couple was suspected of taking the child to the Lake in the Hills, and the vehicle the couple was driving was found near the home, police said at the time.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office approved felony charges and an arrest warrant was issued. A search warrant was obtained for the Lake in the Hills house, where Cook and Walsh were eventually located hiding in the residence with the child, police said.

Jeffrey Cook is due in court April 24. Jessica Walsh is due in court May 14. Both share a home address in Elmhurst and are out of the county jail pretrial, records show.