Verdict likely today in Gurnee robbery

Kavin Spivey is due to find out this morning if he will walk free or spend the next several years behind bars.

Closing arguments in Spivey's trial on charges he robbed a woman of her purse at a Gurnee gas station and shot twice at a man who chased him were completed Thursday afternoon.

Circuit Judge Fred Foreman said he will announce his verdicts on the attempted murder, armed robbery and other charges against Spivey today.

Spivey, 29, is accused of dragging a woman out of her car and stealing her purse Nov. 30 at the Shell gas station at 6050 Route 132 near Gurnee Mills.

David Bryant, a clerk at the station, saw what was happening and chased the two men he saw running away, only to be shot at twice.

Prosecutors said Thursday it was Spivey who grabbed the purse and fired the shots, while Travis Hicks, 17, acted as a lookout.

They say the two men ran to a truck driven by Travis Fleming, 36, and the three drove to Milwaukee before returning to their home in St. Anne, near Kankakee.

Hicks and Fleming both testified against Spivey, saying they had no idea he planned a robbery and did nothing to knowingly assist him.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Fix told Foreman to consider the fact both Hicks and Fleming told police the same story before being offered plea deals that could keep them out of prison.

"This is not just a case based on the stories of co-defendants," Fix said. "This is a case of stories that are identical and corroborate each other."

Defense attorney Christopher Lombardo asked Foreman to consider the fact witnesses to the robbery and shooting gave police varied descriptions of the suspects involved, the clothes they were wearing and the vehicle they left in.

He said Hicks and Fleming should not be believed because of the deals they made with prosecutors.

"I am saying they said what they said because they had to save themselves," Lombardo said. "I do not believe any of the three of them were even there when this happened."

Hicks and Fleming pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery and could face seven years in prison, but are also eligible for probation.