Joliet crime: 17-year-old arrested after allegedly throwing handgun over fence while running from police

JOLIET, Ill. - A 17-year-old boy was arrested in Joliet this week after he was allegedly in possession of a loaded handgun while fleeing from police.

At about 5:43 p.m. on Thursday, Joliet officers conducted a traffic stop on a Honda Accord near North William Street and Ingalls Avenue for a suspended registration violation.

At that time, two individuals exited the passenger side of the vehicle and allegedly ignored officers, who advised the two individuals to remain inside the vehicle.

One of the individuals, later identified as a 17-year-old boy, ran from the vehicle while holding his waistband, police said.

The officers chased him on foot and saw him throw what appeared to be a handgun over a fence into the backyard of a nearby residence, police said.

He eventually stopped running and was taken into custody.

Officers searched the yard where the 17-year-old boy had allegedly thrown the handgun and recovered a loaded handgun that appeared to be modified with a switch device, converting the weapon to fully automatic firing.

The 17-year-old was arrested for unlawful use of a weapon (machine gun) and obstructing a peace officer.

Officers did not locate the other person who fled from the vehicle.

The officers then searched the Honda and recovered a second loaded handgun that also appeared to be modified with an automatic fire switch. It was located in the area of the vehicle where the other individual had previously been sitting, police said.

The driver of the vehicle, Brennan Torres-Havemann, 25, of Romeoville, was cited for driving with a suspended license and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration.

The vehicle was towed from the scene.

The case remains under investigation.