Authorities: Man was killed during botched armed robbery attempt at Oakbrook Center

A Chicago woman was injured and her accomplice was killed during a botched armed robbery last month at Oakbrook Center mall, authorities said Tuesday.

Chance Jamerson, 29, and 28-year-old Justin Hill of Dolton were attempting to rob someone of $2,000 in the mall parking lot on Sept. 30 when they were both shot, authorities said. Hill was killed in the shooting.

On Tuesday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said the man who fatally shot Hill was acting in justified self-defense and will not face charges. He used a gun Hill brought to carry out the robbery to shoot the Dolton man and Jamerson, Berlin added.

“Violent crime, by its very nature, is dangerous and unpredictable and when you engage in such activity, everyone involved, not just the intended victim, is put at risk, particularly when a firearm is involved,” he said.

Jamerson faces three counts of attempted armed robbery. She appeared in court Tuesday, when DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden ordered that she remain in jail while awaiting trial.

“This was a very dangerous crime. She did this in a public area, around noon, when people are coming there (to the mall) to eat or to shop,” Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Levan said during the detention hearing.

According to prosecutors, Jamerson was the mastermind behind the attempted armed robbery.

Levan told Dieden in court that Jamerson had gone to the mall with one of the victims Sept. 29 to buy Swatch watches.

The man had been hiring people to buy the watches, which cost $448 apiece, so he could resell them. The store had limited sales to one per person.

Jamerson knew the man would be carrying $2,000 in cash when they returned the next day, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Jamerson rode with the man and two others to the mall in a Mercedes-Benz. Hill arrived in a Nissan and, following instructions Jamerson texted to him, boxed the Mercedes in a parking spot.

Hill then opened a door of the Mercedes and pointed the handgun inside, Levan said.

The driver and Hill struggled over the gun, and Jamerson joined in, trying to help Hill, according to Levan.

Jamerson was shot in the abdomen during the struggle, authorities said. The driver then got out of the car and shot Hill, officials said.

One of the Mercedes’ passengers then moved the Nissan out of the way, and they left the scene, according to prosecutors. The three would-be robbery victims then drove to the Oakbrook Terrace Police Department, Levan said.

Jamerson got into the Nissan and drove off but returned moments later, she added.

Berlin said Jamerson cannot be charged with murder for Hill’s death due to a change in state law that was made a few years ago when the SAFE-T Act was adopted.

Before that, a person could be charged with murder for the death of a co-participant in a forcible felony, even if the person was killed by someone else, he said. Now they can only be charged with murder if they or another accomplice personally caused the death, according to Berlin.

Jamerson attorney Gus Kostopoulos said outside of court Tuesday that his client denies the allegations. He said she is the mother of three children, including a baby who is about a month old. She also cares for an elderly grandmother and is attending college, Kostopoulos said.

Kostopoulos had argued for home detention, including GPS monitoring.

Berlin praised the work of Oak Brook police, including investigators and a community service officer who was first on the scene and provided first aid.

“If you commit a crime, we will be tireless in our efforts to bring you to justice,” Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis said at the news conference.

Strockis said automated license-plate reading cameras are located at every entrance and exit at the mall. In addition, Oak Brook routinely has undercover and uniformed police officers at the mall.

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com