Juvenile charged in Downers Grove, Warrenville carjackings to be tried as an adult
A juvenile charged with committing armed carjackings in Downers Grove and Warrenville last November and December will be tried as an adult.
DuPage County Judge Brian Jacobs granted the prosecution's request Monday.
"If found guilty, the juvenile allegedly involved in these crimes is equally culpable as his co-defendants and for justice to be served it is imperative that any penalty he faces reflect the severity of the crime. Simply put, the fact that he was several months shy of his 18th birthday should not shield him for a proper measure of justice," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release.
That means the teen could be sentenced to 21 to 45 years in prison. The defendant's name is not being released until he makes his first appearance in adult court, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday.
He was arrested Dec. 13 and charged with three counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, one count of armed robbery with a firearm, one count of unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.
Co-defendants Emanuel Embry, 19, and Daysean Washington-Davis, 20, both of Chicago, were arrested Dec. 17.
The juvenile was on probation for robbery, Embry was on probation for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and Washington-Davis was out on bond on a charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Authorities say that on Nov. 30, a carjacking happened on Prairie Avenue. The juvenile allegedly drove to Downers Grove, knocked on the window of the car, which was in a garage, showed a gun, told a woman to give him the car and drove off in it. He was followed by another vehicle, which police say was driven by Washington-Davis.
On Dec. 13, a car was taken from a man in Warrenville. Police believe the juvenile and Embry were armed when they approached the victim.
Then about 20 minutes later, the juvenile and Embry took the car of a pregnant woman, at gunpoint, in Downers Grove. A friend of the victim followed them, and approached them in stopped traffic in Woodridge. Embry and the juvenile ran off, but Washington-Davis drove off in the man's car.
The juvenile was arrested Dec. 13. The other two were arrested Dec. 17.
The juvenile has been charged with three counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, one count of armed robbery with a firearm, one count of unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.