Fox Lake teen weighing plea deal in deadly botched robbery
A Fox Lake teen has about three weeks to decide whether to accept a five-year prison sentence or go to trial on charges she played a part in the April death of a North Chicago man killed in a botched robbery.
Courtney Sherman, 18, faces charges of robbery and reckless homicide stemming from the killing of 43-year-old Trinidad Bueno-Sanchez behind a Round Lake Beach department store. She could be sentenced to seven years in prison if found guilty at trial.
Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti met with the case's prosecutor, Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Eric Kalata, and defense attorney James Schwarzbach behind closed doors last week to discuss a possible plea deal. She disclosed the potential deal to Sherman in court Thursday.
Authorities say Sherman was one of five teenage girls who arranged to buy a cellphone from Bueno-Sanchez on April 24 in a parking lot at 750 E. Rollins Road. Using a phone app to arrange the $450 deal, the girls gave Bueno-Sanchez the name of "Jessie" as the person buying the phone, Rossetti said.
Bueno-Sanchez arrived at the parking lot with his wife and child and was approached by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old girl, Rossetti said in court. Sherman was seated behind the driver, the judge said.
Bueno-Sanchez handed the cellphone to a person in the vehicle, at which time he was handed an envelope of money that had $450 written on it, Rossetti said. However, when Bueno-Sanchez opened the envelope to count the money, it only contained $3, Rossetti said.
Bueno-Sanchez leaned into the vehicle to question the occupants about the money, Rossetti said. At that point, Sherman said "go, go, go," and the driver accelerated, dragging Bueno-Sanchez before he fell and struck his head on the pavement, authorities say.
He was pronounced dead from head trauma later that night at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
The juvenile driver and front seat passenger also face reckless homicide and robbery charges. Two other juveniles in the back seat are not facing charges.
Rossetti told Sherman a prison sentence would be appropriate if she's found guilty, but did not say for how long. The judge said prosecutors were seeking a sentence nearing five years in prison, with her having to serve half that time before being eligible for parole.
Schwarzbach said he plans to meet with Sherman to decide whether to accept the plea deal before returning to court Sept. 26. Sherman remains held in the Lake County jail on $250,000 bail. Her trial is scheduled for Oct. 23.