Mount Prospect police said 11 juveniles are charged in connection with two attacks over the summer where victims were lured with a gay dating app (John Garcia/ABC 7 Chicago). YouTube Tips ⓘ
The Mount Prospect Police Department charged eleven juveniles last month in connection with two incidents that occurred on Monday, July 8, 2024, in the Village of Mount Prospect. These incidents occurred in the parking lot of a Shell gas station and 7-Eleven, 606 West Northwest Highway just north of Central Road, and in a residential neighborhood west of Lincoln Middle School near See Gwun Avenue in the block of 900 West Lincoln Street. Following a police investigation, nine Mount Prospect juveniles and two Arlington Heights juveniles were arrested and charged between November 11 and November 20, 2024. The police department released the information about the case on Thursday, December 26, 2024.
A 41-year-old male victim on Monday, July 8, 2024, at approximately 9:45 p.m., arrived at the Mount Prospect Police Department to report he had been battered earlier in the evening by a group of teenagers in the parking lot of the business at 606 West Northwest Highway. The victim related that he had utilized an online dating app to arrange to meet a person at that location. After arriving, the victim told police that he was approached by a group of teenage males, who confronted him verbally and battered him. Teenagers in the group also damaged the victim’s vehicle. The victim told police he fled in his vehicle, but the offenders followed him in their vehicles. The victim was eventually able to get away from the group of teenagers.
Next, Mount Prospect police officers responded at about 9:54 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2024 to a report of a battery in the block of 400 See Gwun Avenue in Mount Prospect. Upon arrival, police officers spoke with a 23-year-old male victim who related that he was battered by a group of teenagers, who also damaged his vehicle. The victim told police that he had used an online dating app to arrange to meet a person in the block of 900 West Lincoln Street. After arriving, the victim was approached by a group of teenage males, who confronted him verbally and battered him. While this was occurring, one of the teenagers slashed the tires on the victim’s vehicle. The victim was able to get back to his vehicle and drove away, but then stopped his vehicle nearby after realizing some of his tires had been slashed. The victim approached a home and asked the residents at the home to call 911. The victim was transported from the scene by the Mount Prospect Fire Department paramedics to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Mount Prospect Police Department detectives were able locate video surveillance footage that captured the incident at 606 West Northwest Highway, and were able to identify some of the offenders in the video. An extensive investigation was conducted where eleven total juveniles were identified as taking part in one or both incidents. The investigation also found one of the Mount Prospect offenders yelled a racial term and another derogatory term during the incident, resulting in that juvenile offender being charged additionally with two counts of Hate Crime.
Mount Prospect Police Detectives consulted with the Cook County States Attorney’s Office, who approved charges related to the juvenile offenders. All the juvenile offenders willingly turned themselves in between November 11 and November 20, 2024. They were transported to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago.
CHARGED …
Juvenile #1 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
2 felony counts of Aggravated Battery
2 felony counts of Criminal Damage to Property
2 felony counts of Mob Action
2 felony counts of Hate Crime
Juvenile #2 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
1 felony count of Aggravated Battery with Great Bodily Harm
1 felony count of Criminal Damage to Property
1 felony count of Mob Action.
Juvenile #3 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
2 felony counts of Aggravated Battery
2 felony counts of Criminal Damage to Property
2 felony counts of Mob Action
Juvenile #4 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
2 felony counts of Aggravated Battery
2 felony counts of Criminal Damage to Property
2 felony counts of Mob Action
Juvenile #5 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
2 felony counts of Aggravated Battery
2 felony counts of Criminal Damage to Property
2 felony counts of Mob Action
Juvenile #6 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
2 felony counts of Aggravated Battery
2 felony counts of Criminal Damage to Property
2 felony counts of Mob Action
Juvenile #7 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
1 felony count of Aggravated Battery with Great Bodily Harm
1 felony count of Criminal Damage to Property
1 felony count of Mob Action
Juvenile #8 – Male, 17 years old, of Arlington Heights
1 felony count of Aggravated Battery with Great Bodily Harm
1 felony count of Criminal Damage to Property
1 felony count of Mob Action
Juvenile #9 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
1 felony count of Aggravated Battery with Great Bodily Harm
1 felony count of Criminal Damage to Property
1 felony count of Mob Action
Juvenile #10 – Male, 16 years old, of Arlington Heights
2 felony counts of Aggravated Battery
2 felony counts of Criminal Damage to Property
2 felony counts of Mob Action
Juvenile #11 – Male, 17 years old, of Mount Prospect
1 felony count of Aggravated Battery with Great Bodily Harm
1 felony count of Criminal Damage to Property
1 felony count of Mob Action
During the investigation, it was learned that some of the teenage offenders got the idea for the criminal activity through a viral social media trend they saw online. “We are asking parents to take these incidents as an opportunity to talk with their teenage children about the seriousness of actively participating in these types of trends they see on social media,” said Police Chief Michael Eterno.
The public is reminded that criminal charges are not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. None of the identities of the suspects were released to the public because the juveniles’ identities are protected by law.
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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