One of six masked gunmen has been sentenced to probation after the group committed a home invasion at an apartment in North Chicago after the resident opened his door expecting his pizza delivery.
Deshon Ivy, 19, of North Chicago, and Marcus A. Patton, 21, of North Chicago, were both charged in January with home invasion while armed with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated robbery and residential burglary.
Patton was additionally charged with enhanced felon in possession of a weapon and three counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
The North Chicago Police Department responded around 7:30 p.m. on January 20 to the Prairie View Apartments, 3 Prairie View Court in North Chicago, for an armed person call.
The resident reported that six male blacks wearing masks had entered his apartment and then fled moments prior to his 911 call, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell.
The victim said he had ordered pizza and heard a knock at his door so he opened it.
The six male suspects, all armed with firearms, forced their way into his apartment, McConnell said.
The resident provided video footage of the interior of his home that captured the incident.
The suspects demanded money and items from the resident. McConnell said the suspects could be heard on video asking, “Where’s the weed?” and “Where’s the gun?”
The victim got into a struggle with one of the suspects and then they fled the scene.
The victim said he did not recognize or know any of the suspects, McConnell said.
Police have no record of the resident being a drug dealer and do not believe he is a drug dealer. McConnell said the victim was scared for his safety following the incident.
Patton and Ivy were later identified as being among the suspects, McConnell said.
Officers were still on the scene investigating the case hours later when they saw Patton and Ivy exit a vehicle in the parking lot of the complex.
The two were recognized for their distinctive clothing seen in the surveillance video, McConnell said.
Both immediately fled as officers approached and they jumped a fence as they ran before being caught. It is unclear whether police have since identified the rest of the suspects.
A defaced 9mm handgun, which was loaded, was located in their flight path.
It appeared to be the same gun as seen in the surveillance video that Patton was holding during the home invasion, McConnell said.
Patton denied knowing anyone at the apartment complex besides Ivy, who is his cousin. He also denied being involved in the crime.
McConnell said Ivy was on pre-trial release for a vehicular hijacking juvenile case out of Cook County at the time of his arrest.
Patton, who is a convicted felon, was on pre-trial release for burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle and criminal trespass to vehicles out of Lake Forest.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted petitions to detain Patton and Ivy pending trial, agreeing with prosecutors that they pose a danger to the community’s safety.
“This appears to be a coordinated effort involving six separate individuals all separately armed. The defendants took efforts to conceal their identity,” Nerheim said during a detention hearing, adding that the defendants also fled from the police.
Court records show Ivy entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office earlier this month.
He pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, a Class 2 felony, in exchange for the rest of his charges being dismissed.
The deal also included Ivy being sentenced to 30 months of probation, 200 hours of public service, being subject to a curfew, not possessing weapons, not consuming alcohol or drugs and providing “truthful testimony” in his co-defendant(s) case or cases.
A jail sentence of 175 days was considered served upon the plea due to him already being held for 175 days in the jail awaiting trial.
Patton remains held in the Lake County Jail and he is scheduled to appear in court again on August 25 for a case management conference. A jury trial is scheduled for November 17.