Teen brothers linked to Lake in the Hills gang surge to be tried as adults

A pair of juvenile brothers linked to a recent surge of gang activity in Lake in the Hills will be prosecuted as adults for their role in the beating of a rival last month, a judge ruled.

Mohammad Awwad, 16, and Wasfi Awwad, 15, will join their older brother, Mazin, in adult court to face felony charges of aggravated battery and mob action stemming from the gang-related fracas July 3 outside their home in the 100 block of Pheasant Trail.

The charges are Class 3 felonies punishable by a maximum two to five yeas in prison.

Both appeared in adult court Thursday morning, where a judge ordered them held on $30,000 bond and appointed the McHenry County Public Defender to represent them.

On Wednesday, Judge Michael Chmiel authorized moving the teenagers from juvenile court, ruling that their cases met all the criteria necessary for them to be tried as adults.

Chmiel said it is not certain what role the brothers played in the fight. Evidence, he said, indicates that Mohammad may have taken part in the beating while Wasfi stood by. However, the judge added, there is no doubt both were at the scene and could be held accountable as a result.

"What's also absolutely clear is that there was gang activity involved," Chmiel said. "That was the whole purpose of this incident, as far as I can tell."

The Awwads' attorneys declined to comment on the decision. Although now charged as adults, they will remain in the custody of the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center, where they have been held since their July 29 arrests.

Mazin Awwad, 18, also appeared in court Thursday, when he formally pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated battery and mob action. Another suspected gang member charged in the incident, Jonathan Rodriguez, 18, of Lake in the Hills, previously pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

The charges stem from a July 3 incident in which a 17-year-old male sporting a rival gang's colors walked past the Awwads' home, sparking a violent confrontation that left him bruised and bloody.

The incident was one of several in recent months that led Lake in the Hills police to hold a informational gang forum with residents earlier this month and to step up anti-gang efforts in the community.