Reputed gang member held in Waukegan shooting
By Judy Masterson jmasterson@stmedianetwork.com October 31, 2012 8:16PM
Oscar Vega
Updated: December 2, 2012 2:10PM
An argument between rival gang members in Waukegan on Tuesday, Oct. 30, resulted in the shooting of a young man in the 900 block of Glenwood Avenue.
According to a statement by Waukegan Police Sgt. Dave DeBaufer, the argument “quickly erupted into a physical altercation” that poured into an alley in the usually quiet neighborhood west of Lewis Avenue and south of Glen Flora Avenue.
Both the victim, who DeBaufer said was an older teen male, and the alleged shooter are neighbors.
The incident occurred at 5:21 p.m., said DeBaufer who stated that three people arrested are “self-admitted gang members.”
Two of the suspects are minors and residents of Waukegan. A third man, Oscar Vega, 18, also of Waukegan, was charged with misdemeanor mob action and battery.
The alleged shooter, one of the minors, was charged as an adult with aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. The second minor was charged with mob action and battery.
The victim, who was shot in the shoulder, was treated at an area hospital. The alleged shooter was arraigned on Wednesday and sent to Hulse Juvenile Detention Center in lieu of a $250,000 bond.
DeBaufer said members of the department’s Gang Intelligence Unit were “quickly able to apprehend the suspects thanks to the cooperation of the residents in the neighborhood.”
