Felony charges have been filed against a suspect who prosecutors say brandished a gun inside a store and then began shooting unprovoked into an occupied car in a populated area of Waukegan Wednesday.
Anthony Montemayor, 43, of Waukegan, was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm while ineligible, three counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 10:52 a.m. Wednesday to Panaderia La Azteca, 814 10th Street, for a report of a man with a gun.
Employees called 911 to report that a person, later identified as Montemayor, came into the bakery armed with a gun and said he needed help.
Prosecutors said Montemayor walked out of the store and the employee told 911 dispatchers that the man began shooting the gun.
A description of the suspect, a white male with a red hoodie, was provided.
Responding officers saw Montemayor running westbound on 10th Street and he then entered Tortilleria y Supermercado Gonzalez, 821 10th Street in North Chicago, which is across the street, prosecutors said.
Officers surrounded Montemayor and he dropped the gun before being taken into custody.
The Smith and Wesson SW95 gun was loaded with a round in the chamber, prosecutors said. Montemayor had 2.7 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
A van parked outside Panaderia La Azteca was found damaged by gunfire. The right rear passenger side window was broken.
The driver of a Dodge Charger approached officers and informed them he had been driving when he saw the suspect with his back to the bakery shooting toward the street, which was heavily populated at the time, prosecutors said.
The victim was interviewed by detectives and explained he was driving his Dodge eastbound on 10th Street, stopped in traffic, when he saw Montemayor armed with a gun looking frantic outside.
Montemayor crouched down by a van and shot in the direction of the victim as the driver attempted to speed away, prosecutors said.
The victim saw the suspect begin running westbound and heard another gunshot.
Montemayor admitted to officers that he shot at the vehicle and said he was being chased by someone.
Surveillance video was obtained of the incident and no injuries were reported.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Montemayor pending trial, arguing he poses a danger to the community, which Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said Montemayor has a revoked Firearm Owner’s Identification card.
She said Montemayor is lucky not to be charged with aggravated battery or even murder based on his actions.
Attorney Lawrence Wade, who is representing Montemayor, raised a bona fide doubt as to Montemayor’s fitness during a detention hearing on Thursday afternoon.
Montemayor remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on December 2 for a status of fitness hearing.