Juvenile that confronted Downers Grove residents where gunshot was fired sentenced for attempting to steal the vehicle involved.

Downers Grove - DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin announced today the second of two juveniles charged with attempting to steal a vehicle from the garage of a Downers Grove residence has been sentenced to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Judge Brian Jacobs sentenced the juvenile, who is currently seventeen years old, to an indeterminate period of time not to exceed the juvenile’s twenty-first birthday after the juvenile entered a plea of guilty to one count of Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle this morning. The other juvenile, who is now eighteen, received the same sentence after he entered a plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle last month.
On February 5, 2020, at approximately 4:15 a.m., Downers Grove Police Department officers responded to a call of “shots fired” on the 7400 block of Webster. An investigation into the matter alleges that an occupant of the residence was warming up their car when they allegedly observed through the front window a vehicle stop in front of the home and turn off its headlights. It is alleged that two occupants of the vehicle, which was reported stolen out of Chicago, then exited the vehicle and began walking up the driveway of the victim’s house toward the car that was warming up. It is alleged that at this time, two residents of the home exited their house and confronted the two men. It is further alleged that the men then returned to their vehicle and that an occupant of the vehicle pointed a gun at a female resident of the home and fired one shot in her direction. It is alleged that the vehicle then fled the scene. A short time later, a Darien police officer observed the vehicle allegedly involved in the matter and attempted to stop the vehicle at 75th and Cass in Darien. The vehicle allegedly refused to stop and the Darien Police officer continued his pursuit. It is alleged that the vehicle entered northbound I55 at which time the Illinois State Police continued pursuit. It is further alleged that the vehicle exited the expressway and crashed at Martin Luther King Drive in Chicago. The occupants of the vehicle, the two juveniles and two other men, Lamourice Shepherd, 21 (d.o.b. 9/23/1998) and Carlos Hendricks, 21 (d.o.b. 1/7/1999), both of Chicago, were taken into custody at this time. Police also recovered two handguns. Shepherd and Hendricks are currently in custody at the DuPage County Jail with bond set at $500,000 with 10% to apply for Hendricks and $750,000 with 10% to apply for Shepherd.
“When a violent crime as alleged in this case occurs, it affects the entire community leaving residents feeling vulnerable, wondering if they are going to be next,” Berlin said. “Public safety is the top priority of my office and law enforcement in DuPage County will use the full force of the law to keep our residents, streets and communities safe, regardless of a defendant’s age. I would like to thank Assistant State’s Attorney Nick Catizone for his efforts in holding these two juveniles responsible for their actions.”
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendants’ guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

###