A seventeen-year-old Venezuelan migrant from Colorado has entered a guilty plea for an armed robbery in Downers Grove, according to a recent announcement from DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin. The juvenile, whose residence was last known to be Denver, accepted responsibility for robbing a woman at gunpoint. DuPage County Judge Kishori Tank sentenced him to an indeterminate term in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, which will not extend beyond his twenty-first birthday.
The incident unfolded on April 22, 2025, at about 8:37 p.m., when Downers Grove Police were alerted to an armed robbery on the 4900 block of Forest Avenue. Through investigative work, authorities determined that the victim was accosted by a juvenile, who brandished a handgun and demanded cash alongside a group of accomplices. The woman handed over approximately $110 before the assailants fled. The juvenile offender was later located in Colorado and with an arrest warrant issued by Judge Tank on May 7, he waived extradition, to face his charges in DuPage County.
In the narrative of the crime presented by State's Attorney Berlin, the capture and extradition of the juvenile reflect the lengths to which DuPage County will go to maintain its creed of safety and uphold the law. Berlin expressed his stance on violent crimes, stating, "The identification of the juvenile in this case, and his subsequent extradition from Colorado, demonstrates the lengths we will go to hold anyone who commits a crime in DuPage County accountable for their actions." This stern approach underscores Berlin's zero-tolerance policy for acts of armed violence.
The success of the case was attributed by Berlin to the "truly outstanding work" of the Downers Grove Police Department. The officers' diligence in tracking the juvenile across state lines was praised, along with the ongoing efforts of Assistant State's Attorney Nick Catizone in safeguarding the community. In a statement relayed by DuPage County's official website, Berlin emphasized, "We have absolutely zero tolerance for armed violence, as we saw in this case, and I commend the Downers Grove Police Department for their truly outstanding work, which included traveling to Colorado, that allowed us to hold this juvenile responsible for his actions."
