Cook County Juvenile Sentenced to Department of Juvenile Justice for Robbing Woman at Gunpoint in Willowbrook Store Parking Lot

“THE EXTREMELY QUICK APPREHENSION AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF THE JUVENILE IN THIS CASE SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT IN DUPAGE COUNTY WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS TYPE OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, REGARDLESS OF THE DEFENDANT’S AGE,” BERLIN SAID.

WILLOWBROOK - DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin announced today that a fifteen-year-old juvenile, who previously entered a plea of guilty to one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm (Class X Felony), has been sentenced to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice for an indeterminate amount of time not to exceed his twenty-first birthday. The juvenile entered his guilty plea on February 17, 2022, in front of Judge Anthony Coco, who handed down today’s sentence.

On October 13, 2021, at approximately 2:45 p.m., officers from the Willowbrook Police Department were dispatched to the Target store located at 7601 Kingery Highway for the report of a woman who was approached by an individual with a gun. Upon their arrival, officers spoke with the female victim and initiated an investigation. Following the investigation, it was determined that after the victim finished loading items into her vehicle, she was approached by the juvenile as she was about to enter the driver’s side door. While pointing a gun at the victim, the juvenile told her, “Give me the (expletive) keys” and “look at the gun.” After the victim gave the juvenile her keys, she ran back to the Target store and called 911. The investigation also found that the juvenile entered and then started the woman’s car but was unable to drive away. Authorities found the juvenile at a nearby hotel where he was taken into custody without incident within one hour. At the time of his arrest, the juvenile had multiple pending forcible felony cases in Cook County and one pending forcible felony out of Will County. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

“The extremely quick apprehension and successful prosecution of the juvenile charged in this case sends the message that in DuPage County we will not tolerate this type of violent behavior, regardless of the defendant’s age,” Berlin said. “Brazen crimes such as this affect not just the victim in the case, but also the entire community as people worry for their own personal safety wondering if they will be next. The truly outstanding work of the Willowbrook Police Department in this case demonstrates law enforcement’s dedication to the safety and well-being of our residents. We are all very grateful that the victim in this case was not physically harmed. I thank Assistant State’s Attorney Lynn Cavallo for her work not only on this case but for her continued efforts in keeping our communities safe.”

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