What happened to a Highland Park man who died from 'suspicious injuries' over the weekend?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A mystery, unsolved on the lakeshore near Highland Park.
A 45-year-old man died from what's being called "suspicious injuries." CBS 2 has learned the last two people to see him alive-are behind bars, but not for murder.
CBS 2's Chris Tye reports on the questions washing ashore.
"It's a very, very in-depth investigation. When somebody dies from a homicide, there is no stone that's left unturned. Investigators look at everything," said Deputy Chief Chris Covelli, Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
From their homes on the aptly named Cliff Road, homeowners get daily doses of Lake Michigan's majesty. But sometimes they pick up sounds of those walking the shoreline below.
Such was the case just after 1:00 a.m. Saturday for 45-year-old Matthew Ascaridis.
He heard people being loud at the shoreline. He left for the beach. That escalated to a violent altercation.
Then, four hours later…
"A passerby noticed a body partially submerged in water and dialed 911," Covelli said.
The coroner said the death was from multiple injuries, deemed suspicious by investigators.
"We know it's a very rocky area where this encounter took place, some very large rocks," said Covelli.
Around that same time, two men, 20-year-old Nicholas Caban and 18-year-old Jacob Firestone, both from Highland Park, called 911, telling authorities they needed both medical attention and to share that they had that beachside involvement with Ascarides just hours before.
Both were hospitalized. Authorities got a warrant for Caban's house.
"What they found was a firearm that had a defaced serial number," Covelli said.
That lead to a felony weapons charge against him. Firestone was released from hospital care Tuesday night and into police custody.
"What investigators know is that he did attempt to conceal evidence of this incident," Covelli said "We know a violent struggle took place between the 45-year-old, the 20-year-old and the 18-year-old," Covelli said.
Three men struggled -- two walked away alive. What was the exact involvement of the final two men to see him alive?
In a case who crime scene is a beach, where evidence churns with every wave, leaving no stone unturned can be a very tough task.
"While at face value this may appear to be an open and closed case, it's far from that," Covelli said.
The victim was a father, husband and local business owner. Police said additional charges against the last two men to see him alive could still come.
Anyone with information on what happened on this beach that night is asked to contact the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force. The number is 847-377-4000
