Bail Reduction Denied for Teen in Meijer Parking Lot Dragging Death

LAKE COUNTY, IL - A Lake County judge denied a bail reduction Tuesday for an 18-year-old Fox Lake woman accused of prompting the driver to "go, go, go," after a group of teens failed to pay an agreed upon price to a North Chicago man selling his cell phone, the Lake County News-Sun reports. The teens met with the man, Trinidad Bueno-Sanchez, in the parking lot of Meijer in Round Lake Beach at about 8 p.m. on April 24. When they tried to flee the scene with Bueno-Sanchez's phone, Bueno-Sanchez was dragged along with the teen's vehicle before he eventually fell and hit his head on the pavement, police said.

Emergency personnel found Bueno-Sanchez, the father of seven, lying unconscious on the ground in the parking lot of Meijer and was rushed to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he died.

• Family Remembers Father of 7 Dragged by Car, Killed While Trying to Sell Cell Phone
  

Courtney Sherman, a back seat passenger in the car, entered not guilty pleas to charges of reckless homicide and robbery before Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti on Tuesday morning, the Lake County News-Sun reports. Rossetti also denied a request to reduce Sherman's bail, which remains set at $250,000.

Sherman, of Fox Lake, and two 17-year-old girls who were also in the vehicle have all been charged in connection with Bueno-Sanchez's death, police said.

An investigation into the death revealed Bueno-Sanchez placed an ad on Offer Up to sell his cell phone. He was contacted by an individual requesting to purchase the cell phone, and the two agreed on a price, according to a Round Lake Beach Police Department press release.

They also agreed to meet in the Meijer parking lot to make the transaction. A vehicle driven by a 17 -year-old girl arrived, and Bueno-Sanchez approached the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was also allegedly occupied by Sherman and four other teenage girls, ages 16 and 17 years old. When Bueno-Sanchez approached, he confirmed he had been communicating with one of the occupants in the vehicle regarding the sale of the cellphone, according to the news release.

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Bueno-Sanchez began speaking with one of the teens who was sitting in the front passenger seat. That girl requested to look at the cellular phone, and he gave the phone to her, according to police.

That juvenile then handed him an envelope containing only a fraction of the agreed upon price. Part of Bueno-Sanchez’ body was leaning inside the vehicle and he was discussing the discrepancy in price when the 17-year-old driver accelerated and Bueno-Sanchez was dragged by the vehicle. Bueno-Sanchez eventually became detached, struck his head on the pavement and the vehicle fled the scene, according to police.

The investigation revealed all of the individuals met with Bueno-Sanchez in an effort to rob him of his cell phone, and he died as a result of injuries sustained in the incident, according to the news release. Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper ruled the manner of Bueno-Sanchez’s death was a homicide caused by head trauma.

Sherman's bond was initially set at $500,000 but was later reduced. She remains in custody at the Lake County Jail.

More via the Lake County-News Sun

Photo caption: Courtney A. Sherman/Photo credit: Round Lake Beach Police Department