Shots Fired In Botched Pot Deal, Woman Held Without Bail: Cops

OAK LAWN, IL -- A 26-year-old Oak Lawn woman was ordered held without bail for a marijuana deal gone awry that ended in shots being fired, prosecutors said. Jessica Medrano appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice on a class X felony charge of armed robbery with a discharge of a weapon. She was also charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm.

According the charges, the woman was contacted Dec. 4 by a mutual friend named “Destiny” about buying some weed. Destiny put them in touch with Medrano, who texted the woman. They arranged to meet at Jedi’s Garden at 92nd Street and Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn. At about 10:22 p.m. the woman and her friend drove to the restaurant where they planned to meet up with Medrano. Both women entered the restaurant but they did not see Medrano, the prosecutor said.

The woman texted Medrano, who replied back that she was waiting in the parking lot, the prosecutor said. The woman went out to meet Medrano. The prosecutor said that when the woman opened her purse, Medrano pulled out a black and silver handgun and pointed it at the woman. Medrano allegedly grabbed the woman’s purse and weed money before fleeing the scene.

The prosecutor said the woman ran back into the restaurant and told her friend that she had been robbed. Both women jumped in their gold Chevy Malibu and pursued Medrano. Medrano was getting into a red Camry when the women pulled up near 92nd Street and 52nd Avenue. The women tried to get closer to the car to get Medrano’s license plate. The prosecutor said Medrano got out of the Chevy and shot at the women’s car. A neighbor in a nearby house told police he heard two gunshots. Officers found two spent 40-caliber shell casings. The women were not injured and called police to report that they had been robbed.

Oak Lawn police were able to identify Medrano as the suspect, who was the roommate of Destiny, who set up the cannabis deal, the prosecutor said. Police went to Medrano’s residence in the 9700 block of South Karlov. The prosecutor said police found the marijuana and a gun of the same caliber used to shoot at the women. According to police, the woman was able to identify Medrano as well as her marijuana and Medrano’s black and silver handgun.

Medrano’s attorney told the judge his client was “implicated after the fact.” The women had only met Medrano that evening and “didn’t know her.” The attorney also said Medrano suffers from severe migraines and epileptic seizures.

“She has significant medical issues,” Medrano’s attorney said.

“I think she poses a danger to the community,” Felice said, ordering Medrano to be held without bail. Medrano’s next court date is Jan. 3 in Bridgeview.