Coach wanted for sex abuse of 12-year-old softball player may have left state: Vernon Hills police
Witness statements suggest Eduardo Acosta-Gonzalez may have acted inappropriately with other underage athletes, police said.
VERNON HILLS, Ill. (WLS) -- North suburban police are searching for a coach accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old softball player.
Vernon Hills police said 54-year-old Hoffman Estates man Eduardo "Eddie" Acosta-Gonzalez is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison for each count.
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Based on a referral from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, police investigated Acosta-Gonzalez's conduct while he served as the child's softball hitting coach at a Vernon Hills sports performance center where he had rented space.
An arrest warrant filed last Friday alleges Acosta-Gonzalez improperly massaged the girl two times during the spring and summer, making contact with her breast and groin.
Police said their efforts to find and arrest Acosta-Gonzalez have been unsuccessful, and he may have left the state. Known youth programs affiliated with Acosta-Gonzalez were notified about the investigation, but whether he continues to have access to juvenile athletes was not immediately clear.
Witness statements also suggest Acosta-Gonzalez may have acted inappropriately with other underage athletes, police said. He is believed to have offered private coaching throughout the Chicago area, but he was known to train and coach most recently in Vernon Hills and Wauconda.
Police encouraged parents of athletes trained by Acosta-Gonzalez to speak with their children and report suspicious conduct to police. Vernon Hills police asked anyone with information to contact the Investigations Division at 847-918-5605 or via email at pdtips@vhills.org.
