Offer Up Cell Phone Sale Leads to Reckless Homicide Charges: Police

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

ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL — Three teens face reckless homicide charges after they allegedly robbed a 43-year-old North Chicago man who met with them regarding a cell phone they agreed to buy on Offer Up, which is an online marketplace where local sellers can post items online. The teens met with the man, Trinidad Bueno-Sanchez, in the parking lot of Meijer 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, according to a Round Lake Beach Police Department press release.

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

Courtney A. Sherman, 18, of the unit block of Tweed Road in Fox Lake, and two 17-year-old girls have been charged with reckless homicide in connection with Bueno-Sanchez's death, police said.

The Lake County Major Crime Task Force assisted the Round Lake Beach Police Department with the investigation into Bueno-Sanchez's death. The investigation revealed the 43-year-old 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.

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 cellular 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 has been set at $500,000, bond and the juveniles were charged and will be transported to the Depke Juvenile Complex Center in Vernon Hills.

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