Prosecutors say an employee at a grocery store in Mundelein was randomly attacked by multiple suspects, including a man armed with a loaded gun who ran away from police.
The Mundelein Police Department responded around 3:45 p.m. on August 3 to the Jewel-Osco, 1150 West Maple Avenue in Mundelein, for a report of a fight in progress.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Vukovich said the victim, an employee at Jewel, told police that he went to retrieve carts in the parking lot.
A male, later identified as Jesus A. Jimenez, 18, of Mundelein, suddenly approached and announced he was going to fight him, Vukovich said.
Vukovich said Jimenez started striking the victim and the victim tried to fight Jimenez off him but more people jumped in and started beating the victim.
The victim told police that he knew of Jimenez from high school but that was two or three years prior when they last saw each other.
Paramedics treated the victim at the scene after he suffered lacerations to the hands, elbows and face.
Bystanders who were coming out of the store observed the attack and some of them tried to break it up, Vukovich said.
At least three others besides Jimenez were involved in the attack and they fled once sirens were heard.
One witness was an off-duty police officer who saw Jimenez’s brother hand something to Jimenez when they fled, Vukovich said.
The off-duty officer saw Jimenez and his juvenile brother go into the area of a dumpster by a bank across from the store.
Officers responding saw Jimenez in the area of the dumpster on foot and he ran away from them.
They were able to apprehend Jimenez across the street and also take his brother into custody without incident, Vukovich said.
The other suspects involved in the attack were not located. Officers located a firearm under the dumpster.
The gun was a Glock 19 handgun, which had a defaced serial number, loaded with a round in the chamber and a loaded magazine inserted.
Vukovich said Jimenez admitted that the attack was his idea and initially said he did not know the victim but then said, “I wanted to fight this guy” and “Out of all the people to come out of the store, it was this guy.”
Jimenez admitted the gun belonged to him and would not say where he obtained it, Vukovich said. He also admitted to hiding the gun underneath the dumpster after briefly handing it to his younger brother.
Jimenez has no Firearm Owner’s Identification card or concealed carry license and is also under the age of 21.
He was indicted by a Lake County grand jury on August 27 on one count of aggravated battery in a public place and four counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Jimenez pending trial, arguing he poses a danger to the community.
“The defendant went to Jewel and started a fight in a public parking lot with other people present, at 4 PM on a Sunday afternoon. The defendant fought the victim, then had multiple other people, including his juvenile brother, get out of a car and jump in to fight the victim as well,” Vukovich said.
“This all occurred while the defendant had a loaded firearm he is not even legally allowed to own. There are no conditions or combination of conditions to mitigate the threat the defendant poses given the nature and circumstances of the instant offense as just discussed,” Vukovich added.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition to detain Jimenez during a detention hearing. He has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Jimenez remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 20 for a case management conference.