A Lower West Side man who faced attempted murder charges after he allegedly beat a man with a baseball bat in Streeterville has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a sentence of 18-months probation, court records show.
You may remember the story of Ricardo Camargo because, while he was allegedly beating the victim with a bat, someone stole the Jeep that he left running in the street, according to police.
It all started on a Friday evening in March 2019 when a passerby flagged down police in the 900 block of North Dewitt because they thought a man lying on the ground was severely intoxicated.
Minutes later, Camargo allegedly walked up to the cops while carrying a baseball bat and reported that three men had just stolen his Jeep. Then, a witness showed cops a video that allegedly showed Camargo using a baseball bat to beat the man who the passerby thought was simply drunk.
Prosecutors later said Camargo struck the 27-year-old victim repeatedly in the head with the bat and then dragged the man away from the Jeep, where he continued to strike the victim in the chest and body with the bat. According to a separate police report, three men sped away with the Jeep when Camargo left it unattended.
The beating victim suffered a fractured skull, swelling of the head, fractured facial bones, a fractured left thumb, and a laceration that required eight staples to close, police said. CPD never revealed a motive for the alleged attack.
A grand jury approved a charge of attempted murder and four counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm against Camargo. He has now pleaded guilty to a single charge of aggravated battery in a deal with prosecutors. Judge Michael Hood oversaw the case and gave Camargo the probation sentence.
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