A Lawndale man who faced attempted murder charges for allegedly battering a woman and then arming himself with a knife during a Wrigleyville home invasion two years ago has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
Lorenzo Shorter, 24, pleaded guilty to home invasion causing injury and aggravated assault of a peace officer in the agreement. Prosecutors dropped nine other felonies including four counts of attempted murder in the deal.
Judge Lauren Edinin sentenced Shorter to nine years for the home invasion and three concurrent years for the assault charge.
Around 3:20 p.m. on December 10, 2018, Shorter entered a woman’s apartment in the 900 block of West Cornelia and put her into a headlock that caused her to have trouble breathing, prosecutors said at the time. The woman freed herself and locked herself inside her bedroom.
Meanwhile, Shorter grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and began stabbing the apartment walls, breaking the woman’s property, and shattering a front window.
Police chased Shorter through the streets of Wrigleyville and Boystown for nearly 10 minutes as he swung the butcher knife wildly in the air, officers said. When cops cornered him in the 3300 block of North Seminary, he swung a knife at an officer’s head. Three other cops tazed Shorter and took him into custody.
The victim told investigators that she recognized Shorter from around the neighborhood, but she did not know him personally.
Shorter’s parole date has not yet been set. He will receive credit for 683 days he spent in jail before sentencing.
