Juvenile Who Drove Car At Westmont Cop Convicted On All Counts: PD

WESTMONT, IL — A juvenile has been convicted of multiple felonies after being accused of driving a stolen car at a police officer during a burglary in Westmont in 2021.

The juvenile was found guilty of two counts of armed violence, one count of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, one count of aggravated assault on a police officer, one count of burglary and one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. They had beentaken into custody Jan. 11 and have been detained since then.

This conviction comes as charges are pending for Angel Martin, 24, Semaje Wheeler, 19, and Brian Garrett, 19, in connection with the Dec. 31, 2021 incident.

Police were called to the Laurel BMW dealership just before 4:30 a.m. on the above date for a report of a burglary in progress. When officers got to the scene, they say they saw Martin and the juvenile leaving the dealership's showroom and getting into a white Acura. Police say Wheeler and Garrett were in the Acura.

After an investigation, police say they learned that the juvenile and Martin had used a pry bar to try to get into the dealership building. Martin is then accused of using a rock to break the glass on the garage's door.

The arrival of police prompted Martin and the juvenile to get into the Acura, with the juvenile driving in an attempt to flee, prosecutors say.

Police then used a squad car to block the Acura from exiting. Officers then got out of the car and displayed their guns while instructing the juvenile to stop. The juvenile is accused of driving toward one of the officers, who fired his gun. The gunshot grazed Martin and hit the juvenile in the chest.

The police officer avoided being hit by the Acura, which continued to flee by heading east on Ogden Avenue. The car crashed into a ditch near 22nd Street in Oak Brook and the juvenile, Martin, Wheeler and Garrett are accused of fleeing on foot. They were take into custody shortly after.

Police say they found a 40-caliber Glock 23 with an extended magazine, a 9mm Glock 17 equipped with a fully loaded 24-round magazine and a Poly 80 firearm with a round of ammunition in its chamber inside the Acura. According to prosecutors, the Acura had been stolen on Dec. 21, 2022.

Officers also reported finding a Glock 19 with an extended magazine near the driver's side of the Acura on the ground outside the car. Police say they found a 50-round drum magazine, two pry bars and 28 key fobs for various cars.

"Judge Coco’s finding of guilty on all charges send a clear message that the type of violent behavior exhibited by the defendant in this case will not be tolerated inDuPage County,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

He added, "The fact that the defendant is a juvenile will not deter law enforcement from protecting the public and will not deter my office from aggressively prosecuting anyone accused of such violent behavior."