A 51-year-old Chicago man kidnapped a 12-year-old girl as she walked to a corner store and raped her in his home, only to be discovered when the Cook County Sheriff’s Office showed up to evict him, prosecutors said.
The girl left her godmother’s home around 8 p.m. on September 11, 2025, to walk to a nearby gas station when the driver of an Infiniti SUV honked at her and made a U-turn, Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Crothers said. After the girl exited the store near 75th and Jeffrey Boulevard, convicted felon Lavell Lowery allegedly told her she looked like his little sister and offered to take her to meet the sibling.
The girl, who recognized Lowery as someone she had seen standing outside her school “looking at the kids,” agreed and entered his SUV, said Crothers.
Upon arriving at his home in the 7600 block of South Bennett Avenue, the girl noticed it appeared to be abandoned, but Lowery directed her to a bedroom while he supposedly searched for his sister. A short time later, prosecutors alleged, Lowery returned carrying a small white canister and sprayed an unidentified substance near the child. The girl told investigators she became unable to hear properly, then grew drowsy and lost consciousness.
Prosecutors said the girl later regained consciousness briefly but could not move or speak before blacking out again. When she awoke later, prosecutors said her jumpsuit had been pulled down and she felt pain in her back, neck, ribs, abdomen, and private area.
Around 12:20 p.m. the next day, Cook County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home to execute an eviction order, Crothers said. Deputies forced their way in and found Lowery and the child inside. According to Crothers, the girl initially claimed she was 19 years old before telling deputies she believed she had been raped. Investigators soon learned she was actually 12 and had been reported missing earlier that morning by her godmother. Prosecutors said the girl also directed deputies to a loaded .38-caliber revolver that Lowery allegedly tried to hide when the eviction team arrived.
The child was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where a sexual assault examination and toxicology screening were performed.
Lowery later waived his Miranda rights and admitted the girl entered his car voluntarily and spent the night at his home, Crothers said. He allegedly told investigators the child “had the body of a teenager,” slept in his bed, and declined when he asked to have sex with her.
On September 13, investigators obtained a warrant authorizing them to collect a DNA sample from Lowery. Prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to comply, became combative with officers, and ignored repeated court orders from Judge Susana Ortiz before finally submitting the sample five days later. He was then released while the tests were conducted. Prosecutors said the Illinois State Police crime lab results showed Lowery’s DNA in material recovered from the girl’s private areas.
Lowery is charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13, aggravated kidnapping with infliction of bodily harm, and possession of a firearm by a repeat felon.
