How seriously do prosecutors and the courts take Chicago’s gun cases? Here’s another look at some recent filings. First up, the outcomes of two cases that we previously profiled.
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| Cruz and the Summit Motel | CPD; Google |
• Carlos “Lil Tank” Cruz, a 21-year-old felon accused of placing a .357 Magnum revolver to a woman’s head in a dispute over cranberry juice during a party at a North Side motel, has pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon with a previous conviction. Judge Catherine Haberkorn sentenced him to Cook County Boot Camp. Three other felony charges were dropped in the plea deal.
The cranberry juice was running low at a party at the Summit Motel, 5308 North Lincoln, on February 17th. When a 19-year-old woman drank some of the last remaining juice, Cruz pulled out the gun, put it to the woman’s head and said, “Bitch, I’ll f*cking kill you. I don’t give a f*ck. Don’t f*ck with me,” according to prosecutors.
The woman called the police who arrested Cruz and recovered the firearm.
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| Deavonte Kimble and the guns that police said they recovered from a limo he was riding in. | Chicago Police Dept |
• Deavonte Kimble was one of three men arrested in the Loop on February 22nd after cops pulled over a limousine carrying South Side rapper Herbert “G Herbo” Wright.
Prosecutors said a gun was found under the seat where 25-year-old Kimble was sitting and other guns were found near Wright and a third man.
Facing five felony counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon with a previous conviction and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Kimble opted for a bench trial overseen by Judge Matthew Coughlan. Last week, Coughlan found him not guilty on all charges. The cases against Wright and the other man continue to make their way through the court system.
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| Trevor King was arrested at the Armitage Brown Line station. | CPD; Yelp |
Whatever he wants…
Around noontime on August 18th, 31-year-old Trevor King of Evanston jumped the turnstile at the Armitage Brown Line station and started to make his way upstairs. Prosecutors say when a 27-year-old female CTA worker told him that he needed to pay, King pulled out a loaded .38-caliber revolver, tapped the grip against his head, and said, “I can do whatever I want, b*tch.”
King has over two dozen arrests in Cook County and police say he has “Gangster Disciple gang ties.” He is charged with aggravated assault of a transit worker; and felony unlawful use of a weapon with a prior weapons conviction. Judge David Navarro ordered him held without bail.
Salt in the wound
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| Romero | CPD |
It was bad enough when 26-year-old Jorge Romero was shot in the stomach on August 20th while in the 5600 block of West Addison. But, when he was released from the hospital six days later, Romero found himself being taken to Area North Police Headquarters. It turns out that he was still in possession of a handgun when police found him bleeding on the street after being shot, according to prosecutors.
Romero is charged with aggravated unlawful use of a loaded handgun. Judge John Lyke released him on a recognizance bond.
“Found it”
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| Henderson | CPD |
Police say they were responding to a call of shots fired in the 1500 block of North Rockwell around 1:15 a.m. on August 15th when they saw 28-year-old Darrius Henderson sitting on the steps of a Chicago Housing Authority building. They struck up a conversation with Henderson and allegedly saw a bulge in his pants and the handle of a pistol sticking out of his right pocket.
A pat-down search revealed the item in Henderson’s pocket to be a loaded 9-millimeter handgun that Henderson later told police he “found,” according to his arrest report. Police said Henderson is a member of the Maniac Disciples street gang.
He’s charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possessing a firearm without a valid Firearm Owner’s ID card, and criminal trespass to state land.
Judge David Navarro set bail at $5,000. Henderson went free awaiting trial by posting a $500 deposit.
