Cook County teen found guilty of burglarizing BMW dealership, attempting to hit police officer with car
WESTMONT, Ill. - A 17-year-old boy was sentenced Wednesday to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice for burglarizing a BMW dealership and attempting to drive a vehicle into a police officer last year.
The teen was found guilty last month of two counts of armed violence, one count of burglary, one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, one count of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle and one count of aggravated assault on a police officer.
The juvenile was one of four people charged in this case.
The cases against the juvenile's codefendants Angel Martin, 24, of Dolton, Semaje Wheeler, 19, of Chicago and Brian Garrett, 19, of Chicago, are currently pending.
Martin, Wheeler and Garrett have all been charged with eight counts of armed violence, one count of burglary and one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, prosecutors said.
The charges and sentencing stem from a burglary at Laurel BMW located on Ogden Avenue.
At about 4:27 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2021, two Westmont officers responded to the call of a burglary in progress, and when they arrived, they encountered two individuals, later identified as the juvenile and Martin, exiting the showroom and entering a white Acura with two occupants — later identified as Wheeler and Garrett, prosecutors said.
After arriving at the dealership, the 17-year-old and Martin armed with a pry bar allegedly tried to enter the building on the east side but were unsuccessful.
Prosecutors said the two then joined Wheeler and Garrett in the Acura and drove to the west side of the building.
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Once at the west side of the building, the juvenile and Martin allegedly exited the vehicle and tried to gain entry to the building with the pry bar.
Martin allegedly grabbed a landscaping rock and threw it through a pane of glass in the garage bay door.
Prosecutors said the teen and Martin then entered the building through the broken window.
Once alerted to the arrival of the police, the two suspects allegedly exited the building and entered the Acura to flee the scene.
The officers blocked the driveway with their squad car and exited the car. As the Acura attempted to flee, the officers drew their weapons and ordered the offenders to stop and exit the car, prosecutors said.
The 17-year-old was driving the vehicle and drove directly at one of the uniformed officers. At that time, the officer discharged his weapon, striking the juvenile in the chest and grazing Martin — who was seated in the front passenger seat, prosecutors said.
The vehicle then allegedly approached, and the officer ran out of the way of the Acura. He used his free hand to push off the vehicle to avoid injury, prosecutors said.
The vehicle fled east on Ogden Avenue to northbound IL-83. The vehicle then allegedly crashed into a ditch near 22nd Street in Oak Brook, and all four occupants fled the scene.
They were apprehended a short time later.
The juvenile was taken to the hospital for medical attention, where he remained until Jan. 10, 2022.
He was then discharged into the custody of authorities, and has remained in custody since that time, prosecutors said.
While investigating, authorities determined that the Acura was stolen on Dec. 21, 2021, out of Lake County.
Officers located three firearms inside the Acura including a Glock 23 40 caliber with an extended magazine, a Poly 80 gun with a round in the chamber and a Glock 17 9mm with a fully loaded 24-round magazine.
Officers also found a Glock 19 with an extended magazine just outside the Acura near the driver’s side door, prosecutors said.
Three of the firearms also appeared to have switches that could render the firearms fully automatic.
Officers also found a 50-round drum magazine that was nearly full, twenty-eight key fobs for various automobiles and two pry bars inside the vehicle.
The teen was sentenced Wednesday to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice for an indeterminate amount of time not to exceed his 21st birthday.