Crime & Safety
Man Accused Of Paralyzing Teen In Pot Deal Gone Bad Rethinks Life After Charges Dropped
"I'm actually looking for a whole change," said Jonathan A. Ramos, who faced 6 to 45 years in jail if he had been convicted.
CHICAGO, IL — Charges have been dropped against an Avondale neighborhood man accused of shooting and paralyzing a 15-year-old boy who had chased down and pistol-whipped after the teen allegedly robbed him at gunpoint during a drug deal last month in the Albany Park area, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Jonathan A. Ramos, 22, had been charged with aggravated battery and the manufacture and delivery of marijuana in the Feb. 1, incident.
But Cook County prosecutors dropped those charges this week, citing insufficent evidence, the report stated. There are no plans to refile the charges, the report added.
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Ramos faced six to 45 years in prison if he had been convicted on the original charges, according to the Tribune.
RELATED: Teen Shot, Paralyzed After Pot Deal Turns Into Armed Robbery: Cops
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According to police, Ramos, a Northwest Side sub shop employee with no criminal record, met the teen in the 3700 block of West Lawrence Avenue to sell him 8 grams of marijuana. But instead of a pot deal going down, the teen allegedly held up and robbed Ramos with a .45-caliber handgun, then ran, the report added.
A chase ensued for a block before Ramos eventually tackled the teen and allegedly began punching him. Disarming the boy, Ramos is accused of pistol-whipping the teen, using the same gun that the 15-year-old originally pointed at him.
Finally, Ramos allegedly stood over the boy, shooting him in the back. The gunshot paralyzed the teen from the chest down.
While he admits trying to sell pot to the 15-year-old — along with a brow Louis Vutton belt — Ramos denies standing over the teen and shooting him, the Tribune reports. He claims the teen's gun discharged after Ramos tackled him, the report added.
Ramos told the Tribune he regrets chasing the boy. Even though the pot sale was simply an attempt to earn a few extra bucks for himself and his girlfriend and their two daughters, the experience has forced him to re-evaluate his lfe.
"I'm definitely up to living my life, working, getting my daughters what they need," he told the Tribune. "Honestly, these streets … I'm actually looking for a whole change."
Jonathan A. Ramos, 22 (photo via Cook County Sheriff's Office)
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