Teen Who Drove Car At Cop During Westmont BMW Burglary Sentenced

WESTMONT, IL — A 17-year-old boy who drove a car at a police office while armed during a BMW dealership burglary in Westmont in 2021 has been sentenced after having been convicted of multiple felony charges.

The teen will be detained in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice system for an unspecified length of time, but not after he turns 21. The conviction, which includes armed violence, aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and burglary came in late November after a two-day bench trial.

Angel Martin, 24, of Dolton, Semaje Wheeler, 19, of Chicago, and Brian Garrett, 19, of Chicago, Martin, Wheeler and Garrett were charged with armed violence, burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in connection with the Dec. 31, 2021, incident. Those charges are pending.

The Westmont Police Department was called to Laurel BMW at 430 E. Ogden Ave. just before 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2021, for a report of a burglary in progress. Officers say when they got to the scene they saw the juvenile and Martin leaving the dealership's showroom and getting into a white Acura. Wheeler and Garrett were already in the Acura, according to prosecutors.

Police say the juvenile tried to drive the Acura away from the dealership, but that officers blocked them with their squad car and exited the vehicle. According to prosecutors, the juvenile tried to drive the Acura into a police officer, which prompted the officer to fire a shot from his gun that grazed Martin, who had been in the front passenger seat of the Acura, and hit the juvenile in his chest.

The Acura fled the scene and headed east on Ogden Avenue before crashing into a ditch near 22nd Street in Oak Brook. The suspects then attempted to flee on foot, police say, before being taken into custody a short time later.

Martin and the juvenile were taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries.

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 sentence of the maximum detention allowable by law sends a strong, unambiguous message that regardless of a defendant’s age, in DuPage County we will not allow the type of violent behavior exhibited by the juvenile to stand,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

He added, "Whether the accused is a juvenile or not, we will do whatever is necessary to protect the public and will mount an aggressive prosecution against anyone accused of committing a violent crime."