A man who allegedly fired a gun in the Loop early Friday has pending felony cases in two counties and is on probation in a third, prosecutors said.
“Every county he goes to, it appears, he catches a case,” Judge John Lyke said during a bond court hearing for Antwon Jones on Saturday.
Police who responded to calls of gunfire near Lake and Wabash around 12:30 a.m. Friday spoke with a security guard at the Virgin Hotel who reported seeing a group of people leave in a silver Infiniti after one of them fired a gun, prosecutors said.
The guard allegedly said the person who fired the shots had dreadlocks with red tips. Prosecutors said surveillance video shows Jones, 19, shooting the gun.
Cops, who were given the Infiniti’s license plate number by the guard, pulled it over on the first block of East Wacker a few minutes later. Jones was in the front passenger seat, a 17-year-old boy was in the back seat, and a woman was driving, prosecutors said. They arrested the woman for an outstanding warrant.
The juvenile was carrying a loaded 9-millimeter handgun, according to prosecutors. He’s charged with unlawful use of weapon.
Jones is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, but police did not find a gun in his possession. The hotel security guard allegedly identified him as the person who fired the weapon.
Prosecutors said he has pending forgery and resisting charges in DuPage County and a pending possession of a motor vehicle charge in DeKalb County. He’s on probation for aggravated fleeing in Kane County has a juvenile conviction in Cook County for unlawful use of a weapon.
“I got tired just listening to all that,” Judge Lyke said after hearing about Jones’ background.
Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood, who represented Jones during the hearing, pointed out that the gun police allegedly found in the Infiniti is a different caliber from the shell casings police found at the shooting scene.
“I would just note that the Loop is dead after 7 p.m.,” Smallwood said while noting that no injuries were reported.
“He is presumed innocent,” Lyke said, “but it appears he is doing way too much out here.”
“The state tells me that this defendant, every county he goes to, it appears, he catches a case,” Lyke continued. “DuPage County, a forgery and resisting. DeKalb possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Kane County, aggravated fleeing and eluding. Cook County gun case. And, now, reckless discharge of a firearm in Cook County again.”
Lyke then ordered him held in lieu of $250,000 bail. Jones is required to go on electronic monitoring if he can post a 10% deposit bond, the judge said.
