Man arrested for rifle at Chicago hotel makes bond, proposes
CHICAGO (AP) - An Iowa man who was in custody in Chicago after police found a rifle with a laser sight in a hotel room that overlooks a Lake Michigan beach during the July 4th weekend made bond and then proposed to his girlfriend upon his release.
Authorities say a member of the cleaning staff at the W Hotel told police on Sunday they observed the rifle, a handgun and ammunition in the room held by Keegan Casteel, 32. The weapons were found on a 12th floor window sill. The window had a view of Ohio Street Beach and Navy Pier, a major tourist attraction.
Casteel of Ankeny, Iowa, was arrested at the hotel and faces two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. A Cook County judge on Tuesday ordered him held in lieu of $10,000 bond. Casteel was released on Wednesday and proposed to his girlfriend outside the 18th District headquarters, according to WLS-TV. She appeared to accept.
"I understand through the state´s proffer and your attorney that you have permission to possess the firearms in the state of Iowa," Judge David Navarro said during a Tuesday hearing. "However, clearly, we´re not in Iowa."
Police Superintendent David Brown says the hotel staff member should be praised for alerting police.
"This employee saw something by entering a room to clean it that likely prevented a tragedy from happening," Brown said Tuesday.
Brown noted Casteel didn´t have a criminal history. And the lawyer representing him during Tuesday´s hearing said Casteel has two children and works as an auto mechanic.
"Our joint terrorism task force officers debriefed, interviewed this person along with a companion, and we are continuing this investigation," the superintendent said.
Brown did not say if investigators had determined why the man had the guns in his hotel room.
