Westmont Teen Charged with Shooting Woman in Leg/Hijacking Her Car at Gunpoint Transferred to Adult Court
BOND HAS BEEN SET AT $250,000, WITH 10% TO APPLY. THE DEFENDANT FACES A SENTENCE OF BETWEEN SIX TO FIFTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.
WESTMONT - DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a sixteen-year-old Westmont resident accused in juvenile court of shooting a woman in her leg and hijacking her car at gunpoint has been transferred to adult court. Mitch Crawford, 16 (d.o.b. 3/29/2006) of the 1100 Block of S. Williams Street, made his first appearance in adult court this morning in front of Judge Daniel Guerin. On Friday, May 27, 2022, Juvenile Court Judge Anthony Coco granted the State’s motion to transfer Crawford’s case to adult court. Crawford has been charged with one count of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking (Class X Felony), one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm (Class X Felony), one count of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding (Class 4 Felony) and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Concealable Firearm by a minor (Class 4 Felony). His bond has been set at $250,000 with 10% to apply.
On January 4, 2022, at approximately 11:54 p.m., Westmont police officers responded to a call of a vehicular hijacking that had just occurred at the Suffield Gardens apartment complex. Upon their arrival, officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to her leg. She was immediately transported to a local hospital for medical attention and is currently recovering from her injuries. It is alleged the victim was returning to her home and parked her car near her apartment. It is alleged that when the victim opened her car door, Crawford was standing outside the door armed with a gun. It is further alleged that Crawford pointed the gun at the victim’s face and ordered her to get out of the car. It is alleged that Crawford then shot the victim in her leg, pulled her out of the car by the hood of her coat and then fled the scene in the victim’s car eastbound on 63rd Street. Approximately eleven minutes later, the victim’s car was located northbound on Route 83 near I-88 by an Oak Brook police officer in a marked squad car. It is alleged that when the Oak Brook officer activated their lights and sirens, Crawford fled in the vehicle onto I-290/Mannheim Road. It is alleged that during a brief chase, Crawford reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. It is further alleged that Crawford crashed the vehicle as he attempted to exit the highway. He was taken into custody at this time. Officers recovered a loaded P80 polymer gun with no serial number and an extended magazine in the vehicle. On January 6, 2022, Crawford appeared at a juvenile detention hearing where Judge Coco ordered he be detained. He has remained in custody since that time.
“The extreme level of violence and complete disregard for the safety of the public alleged in this case cannot and will not be tolerated,” Berlin said. “The criminal behavior alleged in this case has a damaging impact not only on the victim, but on the entire community as well. Thankfully, Judge Coco agreed with our assertion that the charges against Mr. Crawford pose a significant risk to the public and transferred the case to adult court. I thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Nick Catizone and Kristin Grossman for their efforts in having this case transferred to the proper venue.”
Crawford’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 22, 2022 for status. He faces a sentence of between six to fifty-five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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