Teen gets 20 years in Hanover Park shooting

A teenager was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison for opening fire on an acquaintance during a dispute in Hanover Park.

Armando Guzman was just 16 when he committed the crime but, because it was so brutal, prosecutors charged him as an adult. He faced up to 30 years in prison.

DuPage Circuit Judge John Kinsella presided over the plea deal in which Guzman admitted to aggravated battery with a firearm charges after prosecutors agreed to drop the allegation of attempted first-degree murder.

Guzman, now 17, must serve 85 percent of the prison term before being paroled.

Prosecutor Steven Knight said Guzman repeatedly shot an 18-year-old Wheaton teen about 8:10 p.m. Aug. 13, 2007, after the two argued on the 5500 block of Court H, near Guzman's home, in Hanover Park. The teen was hit three times. None of the gunshot wounds were life-threatening, but two of the bullets remain in his body.

The DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force was called in to assist local police officers. Five days later, Guzman was arrested after an intense police investigation to identify and locate him.

It's unclear what led to the altercation, according to court records, Guzman had a history of gang ties.