Crime & Safety
Man Shoots Up Another House, Police Arrest Him Wearing Ankle Monitor: JPD
It took a week find to him, but Joliet police officers managed to capture Angel Vargas, who comes from the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue.
JOLIET, IL — If you're on the Joliet Police Department, you quickly learn the names of the community's repeat offenders and one of them is 25-year-old Angel Vargas. Vargas has been the focus of numerous Joliet Patch crime stories for more than five years now.
This weekend, Joliet police captured Vargas while he was wearing his court-issued ankle monitor. Also, Vargas happens to be the brother of Joliet first-degree murder defendant John Roy "Johnny Junior" Hernandez, who has remained in the Will County Jail since his Joliet police arrest in June of 2024.
As for Vargas, Joliet police said his newest charges are:
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- Unlawful possession of a machine gun
- Aggravated discharge of a firearm
- Aggravated unlawful possession of a firearm
- No FOID
- Violation of pretrial release
According to Monday's press release, back on Friday, March 6, at 9:25 p.m., officers responded to the 600 block of East Benton Street for shots fired.
Gunfire struck the second story of a residence in the 600 block of Dover Street. The home was occupied at the time of the shooting; however, no injuries were reported.
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Officers located spent shell casings on the roadway on Dover Street while conducting a canvass of the area.
English said detectives initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and through these efforts, they identified Angel Vargas, 25, as a suspect.
A week later, on March 13, detectives, along with members of the Joliet Police tactical unit, narcotics unit, neighborhood policing team, and patrol division, executed a search warrant at Vargas’ house in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue.
"During the search, detectives recovered a loaded
9mm handgun and a loaded .40 caliber handgun equipped with a switch attachment designed to convert the firearm to fully automatic capability," English announced.
Additional ammunition was also recovered.
Vargas was detained during a nearby traffic stop and transported to the Joliet Police Department for questioning.
From there, Vargas was processed and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.
"This investigation remains ongoing," English said.
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