Three people were apprehended Friday, March 15, 2024 after attempting to commit an armed robbery on an undercover detective during an undercover operation. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office did not release the identity of a 17 year-old juvenile who racked the slide, pointed the firearm at a detective’s face, and demanded the detective give him the money he came with to buy the firearm or he would “blow his brains out,” according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) funded task force, in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Division were conducting a purchase of firearms on Friday afternoon, March 15, 2024 from a 17-year-old boy of Beach Park who was trafficking firearms.
Around 1:00 p.m., an undercover detective met with the 17-year-old to purchase a firearm. The detective met with the juvenile in a parking lot in the 38400 block of North Sheridan Road, Beach Park. When the two started talking, the juvenile pulled a semi-automatic pistol from his waistband, charged the firearm by racking the slide, pointed the firearm at the detective’s face, and demanded the detective give him the money he came with to buy the firearm. The juvenile told the undercover detective that he would “blow his brains out” if he did not comply. The undercover detective complied and gave the money to the juvenile, the juvenile then fled on foot.
Multiple other detectives monitoring the transaction immediately moved in during the armed robbery. The juvenile (identity not released) was taken into custody after a brief foot chase. During the chase, the juvenile threw the firearm he used in the robbery; however, the firearm was located by Sheriff’s K9 Duke.
When arrested, the money the juvenile stole from the undercover detective was recovered. Two people who were acting as the juvenile’s lookout during the armed robbery were also apprehended by detectives. One was a 16-year-old from Kenosha (identity not released), who was armed with a semi-automatic pistol, converted to be fully automatic with an extended magazine. The other, Patrick Neal, 22, of the 10100 block of Ford Avenue, Beach Park, was also armed with a semi-automatic pistol, converted to be fully automatic with an extended magazine.
Lake County Sheriff’s detectives then obtained and conducted a search warrant at the 17-year-old’s home. Inside the home, they located an AR Pistol loaded with a rifle round, ammunition, extended magazines, and a drum magazine.
“Our Special Investigations Group investigate and arrest some of the most violent criminals in society. They, along with police officers everywhere, put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. I cannot stress enough how thankful I am that none of our staff was injured in this incident. We will work with the state’s attorney’s office to ensure this violent teen and his accomplices are held accountable for their actions.”
— Sheriff John D. Idleburg
The 17-year-old was transported to the Hulse Juvenile Detention Facility and petitioned on the charges of:
Armed Robbery
Three Counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Obstructing a Peace Officer
Neal had four outstanding warrants and was also charged with:
Armed Robbery
Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun
Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm by a Street Gang Member
Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Two Counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Neal remains held in the Lake County Jail. He was ordered to be held in custody for a detention hearing on March 18, 2024.
The 16-year-old was transported to the Hulse Juvenile Detention Facility and petitioned on the charge of:
Unlawful Use of a Weapon
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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