Lake County Sheriff Police Sergeant accidentally leaves assault rifle on the trunk of his car - The weapon was later found on the street by a citizen

A Lake County sheriff's sergeant apparently left his assault weapon on the trunk of his car, then drove away without realizing his mistake until the weapon was recovered from the middle of an intersection, officials said Monday.

The man who found the weapon, Eric Koehler, 38, said he had just picked up his kids from his ex-wife's house in the Lancaster Falls subdivision near Wauconda on Sunday afternoon when he spotted a black bag in the street.

"I own a couple of guns myself so I recognize the case," said Koehler, who, finding the bag heavy, put it in the back of his truck. "I didn't want to freak out my kids. … I thought, when I get home, I'll take a look and see what it is."

Once at home in McHenry, Koehler said he called police after unloading a 20- to 25-round magazine from the .223-caliber weapon, which was identified as government property. McHenry police traced the rifle to the Lake County Sheriff's Office and contacted the department, which sent a deputy to pick it up, according to a police report.

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