Judge releases man accused of hitting 5-year-old child with shoes in Lake in the Hills

A judge released a Lake in the Hills man accused of hitting a 5-year-old child in the face and body with a shoe, causing injury, in Lake in the Hills.

Vincente Cerqueda-Cortes, 48, of Lake in the Hills, was charged with aggravated assault on a child and two counts of domestic battery.

In a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court, Cerqueda-Cortes is accused of inflicting bodily harm on a child on Oct. 16 in Lake in the Hills.

According to the complaint, Cerqueda-Cortes struck a 5-year-old in the face, back and both arms with a sneaker.

The child, a Cerqueda-Cortes family member, suffered bruising and redness, the complaint says.

An arrest warrant was issued for Cerqueda-Cortes on Thursday and he was taken into custody the same day.

The McHenry County District Attorney's Office filed a motion to detain Cerqueda-Cortes pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to others.

McHenry County Judge Carl Metz denied the petition after an appeals court hearing.

As a condition of his release, Metz ordered Cerqueda-Cortes not to possess firearms and have no contact with his minor children.

Cerqueda-Cortes is scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 5 for a preliminary hearing.