A robbery last weekend in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood demonstrates the wide variety of felony criminal charges that a suspect may face in an alleged robbery involving a firearm. The case is a good example of how a somewhat routine robbery can escalate into multiple serious crimes with severe penalties and consequences.
Suntimes.com reports that in the very early hours on Saturday morning around 3:45am, a group of young people including an 18-year-old male, 19-year old female, and two 16-year old females, were walking down the 4500 block of North Christiana. An SUV pulled over to the group and the driver, later identified as 20-year-old David Ruiz, shouted out the window the words “King Love” and “throw the folks down.” Mr. Ruiz also displayed gang signs to the pedestrians with his hands and fingers. The group of young people allegedly tried to ignore Mr. Ruiz, and continued down the street. At that point, Mr. Ruiz and a passenger later identified as 18-year-old Devonte “Tate” Little, parked the vehicle and exited it.
According to nbcchicago.com, Mr. Little and Mr. Ruiz approached the group and demanded valuables from one of the females. They also took a cellular phone from the 18-year-old male. Mr. Little had a revolver and struck the 19-year-old female with it, and then shot her with it, grazing her neck with the bullet.
Mr. Ruiz and Mr. Little fled the scene, but were later stopped and pulled over by an officer who recognized the vehicle from an earlier report. The officer arrested Mr. Ruiz, but Mr. Little fled in an attempt to escape. After a chase, an officer shot Mr. Little in the arm and arrested him. The young female victim who was shot in the neck was taken to a nearby hospital and was released. Mr. Little was also taken to the hospital. Both reports note that a canine unit officer was somehow bitten by a police dog during the ordeal, but that it was not her canine.
In the aftermath, the charges laid against Mr. Little and Mr. Ruiz are both numerous and serious. Mr. Ruiz was ultimately charged with one count of felony armed robbery with discharge of a firearm causing bodily harm, three counts of felony armed robbery with a firearm, three counts of felony aggravated discharge of a firearm, and one count of felony aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm. Conviction on the felony aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm alone could land Mr. Ruiz in jail for over ten years.
Mr. Little was ultimately charged with one count of felony armed robbery with discharge of a firearm causing bodily harm, four counts of felony aggravated assault to an officer using a firearm, three counts of felony armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm. Bond for both Mr. Little and Mr. Ruiz was set at $900,000.
Armed robbery is a serious crime that carries with it severe penalties and consequences under Illinois law. As demonstrated here, an armed robbery can turn into a litany of charges depending on the circumstances of each case. If you have been charged with violating Illinois criminal laws, you should immediately seek out the assistance of an experienced criminal law attorney. Contact Goldman & Associates today for a confidential consultation.
