A teenager was arrested after detectives found he was allegedly in possession of a loaded machine gun when he walked into a gas station in Waukegan while wearing a mask.
Detectives with the Waukegan Police Department Community Crimes Division were in an unmarked squad car traveling on Washington Street in Waukegan around 2:25 p.m. on March 25.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said they observed a silver Subaru pull into the Exxon gas station at 2720 Washington Street and knew it to have been involved in an incident in North Chicago earlier in the month.
The detectives had been alerted by the North Chicago Police Department that the rear right passenger of the vehicle on that day had pulled a firearm and pointed it at people on the sidewalk.
The detectives observed that the Subaru had tint that was over the legal limit and they were unable to see into the vehicle.
Officers waited for backup to arrive to conduct a high-risk stop on the vehicle, which was parked by a pump at the gas station, McConnell said.
Detectives observed the juvenile front passenger of the vehicle exit as well as the rear passenger, identified as Ricardo Campos-Leyva, 18, of Waukegan, also exit the vehicle and go into the gas station.
McConnell said Campos-Leyva and the juvenile were both wearing balaclavas but Campos-Leyva’s was not fully pulled up. It was approximately 70 degrees outside.
Campos-Leyva was carrying a dark backpack and detectives noted that he was clenching his stationary left arm tightly to his body and reaching into his jacket as he walked, indicating he was concealing a firearm, McConnell said.
Campos-Leyva got back into the rear passenger seat and the juvenile got back into the front passenger seat. The car drove off from the gas station and officers conducted a traffic stop.
The vehicle initially did not stop and first moved towards the unmarked car, which had just activated the lights, McConnell said. The car began reversing before seemingly recognizing there were more police behind them and came to a stop.
Officers ordered all passengers out of the car and detectives observed a gun in plain view under the front passenger seat directly in front of where Campos-Leyva was sitting, McConnell said.
Detectives searched the vehicle and recovered the gun, which was a Glock 17 9mm handgun that was loaded with a round in the chamber and an extended magazine containing 31 rounds.
The gun also had an autosear device, known as a “switch,” attached that converts the gun into a fully automatic weapon, McConnell said.
Officers located a bottle containing 18 pills identified as Xanax where Campos-Leyva had been sitting.
Officers also located the backpack Campos-Leyva had been wearing into the gas station. It contained a gun case that had an extra magazine that was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition, McConnell said.
The gun case would fit the Glock that was recovered from under the front passenger seat.
Officers also located numerous THC vapes and other similar items.
McConnell said detectives were able to review surveillance footage from inside the gas station, which showed Campos-Leyva continuing to walk with his left arm stiff to his body and reaching into his jacket in a manner that detectives know is consistent with someone carrying a firearm.
Detectives observed on the video the magazine of the firearm concealed on Campos-Leyva’s person.
The driver of the vehicle, who has a FOID card and can legally possess firearms, told detectives that she had previously seen Campos-Leyva carrying a gun and that she knew the backpack that Campos-Leyva had been wearing was his, McConnell said.
Campos-Leyva was charged with possession of a machine gun, four counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance. The most serious charge is a Class X felony that carries up to 30 years in prison.
“This Defendant just turned 18 two months ago and does not have a FOID or a CCL and this Defendant nonetheless possessed a Glock which he had illegally turned into a machine gun with a round in the chamber and an extended magazine containing 31 rounds, plus extra ammunition in case this Defendant spent all of the 31 rounds he had armed his machine gun with, and he carried it into a gas station before trying to hide it under the seat in front of him when police arrived,” McConnell said.
“Similarly in this case this Defendant’s possession of a firearm that is altered to become a machine gun, with an extended magazine, a shiesty, and extra bullets is clearly inherently extremely dangerous and demonstrates that he poses a threat to the community and coupled with that mere possession this Defendant of the firearm he is prohibited from possessing said firearm because he is only 18 and does not have a FOID or CCL,” the prosecutor added.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Campos-Leyva pending trial and the request was granted by Lake County Judge Paul Novak during a detention hearing.
Campos-Leyva remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on June 9 for a case management hearing.