Man charged with driving through Chicago Harbor Lock gate

A Southwest Side man charged with driving his vehicle through the main security gate of the Chicago Harbor Lock early Sunday on the Near North Side has been ordered held on a $50,000 bond.

Jaime Santillan Jr., 23, of the 6400 block of South Kilpatrick, faces one felony count of criminal property damage and a misdemeanor count of trespassing, according to Chicago Police.

Santillan crashed through the gate about 5 a.m. at the harbor just south of Navy Pier, in the 500 block of North Streeter Drive, police said. The lock helps reverse the flow of the Chicago River to prevent it from contaminating city drinking water in the lake, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

He got out of the car but Water Reclamation District employees told him to get back inside over a PA system, police said. He was arrested by CPD Marine Unit officers and SWAT team members.

On Monday, Judge Laura Marie Sullivan ordered Santillan held at the Cook County Jail on a $50,000 bond, court records show. He is next scheduled to appear in court March 21.