A 17-year-old Zion-Benton High School student was found hiding in the closet of a Waukegan middle school teacher earlier this month.
A missing-person report was filed Nov. 8 by the girl’s family with the Zion Police Department when she did not return home by curfew after being out the previous day.
Eric Wood
Contacted by Zion police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office sent officers to the Beach Park home of Eric Wood, a 24-year-old teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, on Nov. 9.
After denying he knew the whereabouts of the Zion girl, Wood allowed deputies to search the home and found her hiding in a closet.
Wood was then arrested and charged with obstructing justice, said Sgt. Christopher Thompson.
No other charges were filed.
When asked about Wood’s arrest and involvement with the teenager, Waukegan School District officials declined to comment.
A family member said Wood and the girl have been in contact since meeting at a car show in Milwaukee in July.
The girl’s brother had previously contacted Zion police about Wood on Oct. 13, hoping to halt their meetings.
The report said Wood "is dropping off his 17-year-old sister at home after hours."
"We were told by the police that if nothing sexual was going on between them that there was nothing they could do. We are holding the police responsible if something happens to her," the girl’s brother said Thursday.
However, both Wood and the girl told family members and police they were only friends and nothing more.
"The officer who handled the case did not find any evidence of a criminal offense at the time," said Zion Police Chief Larry Booth. "Our officer contacted (Wood) and told him to stop seeing the girl."
Attempts by the News-Sun to reach Wood at home for comment were unsuccessful.
He is expected to appear in Lake County Circuit Court Dec. 9.
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25 Nov 08 at 9:59 p #