A third suspect has been charged in connection with the robbery and murder of a 21-year-old man in a neighborhood near Gurnee last year, the sheriff’s office announced.
Dalance Montrell Robinson, 21, of the 0-100 block of Paxton Avenue in Calumet City, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
An arrest warrant was issued for him by a Lake County judge on July 14.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies located Robinson driving in Waukegan on July 15 and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on him.
He fled from deputies at a high rate of speed, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Christopher Covelli.
Police conducted surveillance in the area of Washington Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Waukegan on Thursday after learning Robinson was in the area.
Robinson was spotted and arrested without incident.
“Although two individuals have already been apprehended and charged, Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives continued their investigation into the homicide of Elliot Jones, to ensure everyone involved is held accountable for their actions,” Covelli said.
The two others charged in the murder of Elliot Jones, 21, of Gurnee, are Donterrance M. Nixon, 23, of Waukegan, and Jordae Wilson, 20, of Waukegan.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that Wilson and Nixon arranged a meeting with Jones on May 29, 2020.
During the meeting, they robbed Jones and an occupant of their vehicle shot Jones, Covelli.
The incident took place in the 36900 block of North Grandwood Drive in unincorporated Gurnee.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Gurnee Fire Department responded to the scene and found Jones with at least one gunshot wound to his body in front of his residence.
The man was unresponsive and sheriff’s deputies attempted lifesaving efforts on him before paramedics arrived.
Paramedics transported Jones to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he was later pronounced dead.
An investigation showed that Nixon and Jones were friends. They spent some time together during the day on May 29, 2020, and then went their separate ways in the evening, Covelli said.
The two continued communicating by electronic message and Nixon offered to sell Jones marijuana, but he was actually intending on robbing Jones, Covelli said.
Nixon arrived at Jones’ residence and Jones walked to the vehicle where Nixon was seated. Nixon robbed Jones of the cash he was going to use to buy the marijuana.
“The driver of the vehicle began to drive away as Jones was attempting to open the car door, in an effort to retrieve his stolen money. An occupant in the vehicle then shot Jones,” Covelli said.
Wilson and a third person, now identified as Robinson, were in the vehicle with Nixon at the time of the shooting.
Authorities have not said who in the car shot Jones.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Warrants Team learned Wilson was hiding in the Atlanta, Georgia area after the shooting.
He was arrested after the Kenosha, Wisconsin, Police Department pulled him over in November and took him into custody. Nixon was taken into custody in June 2020.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reached a plea deal with Nixon, who pleaded guilty in July to one count of armed robbery.
In exchange, prosecutors dismissed his murder charges. A judge approved the plea deal and sentenced Nixon to 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Nixon will receive over a year of credit for time served in the Lake County Jail. He will also be required to pay court fines and fees.
Wilson’s case remains active and a demand for a speedy trial was filed in June. Robinson remains held in the Lake County Jail on a $5 million bond.