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Round Lake Beach teen denies shooting over text tiff

Teen charged, another hurt

A Round Lake Beach teen who police said shot another man in the leg over some taunting text messages pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County circuit court.

Efrain Velasquez, 17, faces a mandatory prison sentence of six to 30 years if convicted of aggravated battery with a firearm.

Assistant State’s Attorney George Pappas said Velasquez, of the 1200 block of Sunset Drive, was exchanging text messages with an 18-year-old male resident of a house on the 200 block of N. Channel Road in Round Lake Beach on Feb. 2.

The typed conversation turned nasty, police said, and Velasquez sent his correspondent a message saying he was on his way to his house in order to beat him up.

The 18-year-old told police he went outside the house to wait for Velasquez and was standing on the front lawn when Velasquez showed up with a 16-year-old juvenile.

Police say Velasquez took out a handgun and fired several shots at the 18-year-old, striking him in the leg and resulting in a nonlife-threatening injury.

Velasquez and the juvenile ran from the scene, but police caught the juvenile, who identified Velasquez as the gunman, police said.

The victim also picked Velasquez’s photograph out of an array police displayed for him and police were able to recover the weapon used in the shooting, police said.

Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak told Velasquez he is also charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery and defacing a firearm.

Potkonjak scheduled a trial of the case for April 23 and ordered Velasquez, who is held on $500,000 bail, to appear in court March 29.

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