2nd-Degree Murder Charges Filed Over Fatal Fort Sheridan Beach Fight

WAUKEGEN, IL — Six months after the discovery of a dead lakefront homeowner at Fort Sheridan Beach, prosecutors filed second-degree murder charges in connection with his slaying.

Nicholas Caban, 20, and Jacob Firestone, 19, were taken into custody Thursday after a Lake County judge determined there was probable cause that they killed fellow Highland Park resident Matthew Ascaridis without lawful justification on Sept. 17, 2022, and issued warrants for their arrest.

Ascaridis, 45, left his nearby home shortly after 1 a.m. that morning to speak with Caban and Firestone because they were being too loud on the lakeshore, and "a violent confrontation ensued," a spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force said at the time.

Ascaridis' body was found on the shoreline later that morning.

Caban called 911 to report the fight shortly before 5:30 a.m., according to prosecutors. Both Firestone and Caban were hospitalized for their injuries from the confrontation, and both spoke with investigations following the incident, the task force spokesperson said.

Firestone required surgery for a brain bleed after Ascaridis beat him in the head with a flashlight, while Caban required several stitches to his head after he was "pummeled" by the 45-year-old, according to defense attorneys for two Highland Park men.

The Lake County Coroner's Office previously said autopsy results indicated Ascaridis died from multiple injuries. No information regarding any final determination of the cause and manner of his death was immediately available from a spokesperson for the office.

As a result of the investigation into Ascaridis' homicide, Caban picked up a gun charge and prosecutors charged Firestone with obstructing justice.

Police conducted a court-authorized search of Caban's house hours after the discovery of Ascaridis' body and reported they found a loaded 9mm Glock pistol with a defaced serial number, and the Highland Park 20-year-old was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm without a serial number.

Three days after the discovery of the body, Firestone was charged with two counts of felony obstructing justice because investigators determined a wheelbarrow had been moved from the scene of the confrontation, and a backpack with the teen's cellphone and identification was found in a nearby garbage bin, a spokesperson for the state's attorney's office said at the time.

While out on bail, Caban was charged with arson in connection with an Oct. 7 fire at Lou's Garage, 1260 Skokie Highway. He also faces a pending misdemeanor charge of underage drinking. In February, his bond was reduced over the objection of prosecutors and he was subsequently released on bail.

In December, prosecutors said Firestone violated the conditions of his bond by testing positive for cocaine and fentanyl, but an agreement between the state's attorney's office and his attorney allowed his bond to stand.

The major crimes task force and ranger police turned over their investigation to the office of Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart more than two months ago, according to a spokesperson for the task force.

In a statement following the filing of the murder charges, Rinehart described the law enforcement investigation as "excellent" and said the coroner's office had played a "crucial role" in crime scene analysis, but he offered no clues as to why his office waited so long to file the charges or what may have changed in recent months.

"We have kept the family apprised at all times regarding the course of the investigation," Rinehart said, "and we will continue to support them after this brutal attack took their husband, brother, father, son, and friend.”

Ascaridis was a father of two, coached several youth hockey teams on the North Shore and owned a Glenview-based retirement planning firm.

As of this week, an online fundraiser established on behalf of his family has raised more than $88,000. According to organizer Jamie Stronberg, Ascardis "was a kind, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth guy who always greeted friends and family with his warmth and a smile." Stronberg said his death from a "senseless act of violence has been devastating those who knew and loved him."

Under Illinois law, a second-degree murder occurs when a person commits a murder while "acting under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by the individual killed," — or if they "believed the circumstances to be such that, if they existed, would justify or exonerate the killing" under the law coveringjustifiable use of force.

In the case of Ascardis' slaying, prosecutors are charging Caban and Firestone under the latter clause, alleging that the men wrongly believed their use of force was justified.

A spokesperson for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office said prosecutors would provide more information at Firestone's bond hearing Friday afternoon. As of Friday, each man would need to post $200,000 cash to fight the charges from outside the confines of Lake County Jail. Caban is set to appear in court Monday morning.

Related:

• Lake Forest Arson Charge Lands Nicholas Caban Back In Lake County Jail
• Fort Sheridan Homicide Victim Beat Man, 18, With Flashlight: Attorney
• 18-Year-Old Charged With Obstructing Justice In Fort Sheridan Death
• Man Involved In Fatal Fort Sheridan Beach Fight Faces Firearm Charge