A 17-year-old girl was pumping gas at an Elmhurst gas station on Sunday when, prosecutors say, a 70-year-old man approached her, used vulgar language to tell her he wanted to have sex with her, and offered to pay her for it. The man, identified as Janeiro Green of the 1100 block of Lake Cook Road in Deerfield, was arrested by Elmhurst police without incident and now faces a single count of solicitation of a sexual act of a minor.
The encounter unfolded at the Delta Sonic Car Wash gas station complex at 600 West North Avenue near Route 83, according to Patch. Elmhurst police responded to a call about an unwelcome male near the gas station in the 600 block of West North Avenue, and the victim was able to leave the encounter by telling Green she had to go to work, according to FOX 32 Chicago. As officers interviewed her, they noticed a commotion involving Green at a business across the street and called him over to speak with them, leading to his arrest.
Before the girl walked away, authorities say Green gave her his name, phone number and email address. DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said the victim was left physically unharmed, but he praised her response to the situation, saying the young victim showed courage by bringing the matter to authorities, according to Shaw Local.
Why the Suspect Was Released Without Bail
Despite the arrest, Green was released from custody under conditions that bar him from contacting the victim or any other minor under 18. That outcome traces directly to how Illinois classifies the offense: solicitation of a sexual act of a minor is a Class 4 felony, and it is not among the detainable sex offenses under Illinois' SAFE-T Act. Under the Pretrial Fairness Act provisions of the SAFE-T Act, judges can only order pretrial detention for non-violent felonies if prosecutors prove a threat of great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement, according to the Civic Federation.
Berlin has used the case to renew his call for lawmakers to act. He said the General Assembly should strengthen the SAFE-T Act by giving judges more discretion to assess whether defendants threaten society, echoing calls his office has made throughout the year. The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office has repeatedly pressed the Illinois General Assembly in 2026 to amend the law and restore judicial discretion over pretrial detention in cases involving non-detainable charges, and Berlin was one of three state's attorneys who negotiated the 2022 amendments to the Pretrial Fairness Act.
Potential Penalties If Convicted
If convicted, Green faces the statutory range for a Class 4 felony: 1 to 3 years in prison, fines up to $25,000, and mandatory sex offender registration, per the Toney Law Firm. Class 4 felonies are the lowest felony classification in Illinois, and judges retain statutory discretion to sentence an offender to probation instead of prison time, the Daily Herald notes.
Green's case has been assigned to Judge Margaret O'Connell in DuPage County Circuit Court, with his next court appearance scheduled for September 28. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant State's Attorneys Sandi Tanoue, Robert Willis and Daniel Orescanin, who work under Berlin's office.
Police Praise Victim, Urge Reporting
Elmhurst Chief of Police Michael McLean publicly commended the minor victim and her mother for immediately notifying police, saying every minor deserves to feel safe in public spaces. McLean encouraged residents to report suspicious activity in public spaces by calling 911, noting that the victim's prompt reporting allowed officers to locate and apprehend the suspect without incident.
Open questions remain about how Green's defense will respond to the allegations, including whether attorneys will contest the underlying statements attributed to him. It's also unclear whether state lawmakers will act on Berlin's repeated requests to expand judicial discretion for non-violent sex-related offenses involving minors, a debate that continues to play out statewide even as this case moves toward its next hearing.
