Four Chicago men held after smashing Addison gaming cafe
Suspects stole $13,847 and fled at 100 mph before being captured in Bellwood.
By Noor Graham ·
Four Chicago men will remain in custody without bond after breaking into an Addison gaming cafe on Oct. 29, stealing nearly $14,000, and fleeing from police in a high-speed chase that ended in Bellwood. A judge in DuPage County denied pre-trial release for the suspects on Friday.
The defendants are Keonte Adams, 20, of the 9700 block of Beverly Avenue; Dajuan Johnson, 24, of the 4000 block of West Potomac Avenue; Kyronte McCondichie, 20, of the 9700 block of Beverly Avenue; and Daryl Nesbit, 19, of the 8400 block of South Drexel Avenue. Prosecutors charged the group with armed violence, unlawful possession of a machine gun, burglary, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, criminal damage to property, and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Addison police and other DuPage County agencies deployed officers near the cafe in response to a recent series of break-ins at gaming establishments. At approximately 4:32 a.m., officers observed a black Dodge Durango and a white BMW, both reported stolen, traveling together west on Lake Street from Bruce Avenue. The vehicles then backed into the front parking spots at Maria’s Gaming Café, located at 40 E. Lake St.
Five individuals entered the cafe, four of whom were armed. According to the state’s attorney, the group used large sledgehammers and a crowbar to break into the business. They spent about two minutes inside, smashing gaming machines with the hammers and removing the cash boxes. The currency taken from the damaged machines totaled $13,847.
The suspects fled in the two vehicles. The BMW ran over spike strips, forcing its occupants to exit and enter the Durango. The Durango then carried eight people away from the scene. Elmhurst police attempted to stop the vehicle at Lake Street and Route 83, but the Durango continued to North Avenue. Villa Park police joined the pursuit as the vehicle exceeded 100 mph on that road.
Police finally stopped the chase by spiking the Durango’s tires. The eight occupants exited the vehicle and fled across Interstate 290 into a neighborhood near Van Buren and 31st Avenue in Bellwood. Three firearms fell from the car as the suspects bailed out.
K-9 units, drones, and officers from multiple agencies participated in the foot pursuit. Authorities arrested four of the individuals. A search of the Durango revealed a loaded Glock 22 with one bullet in the chamber, a 16-round magazine, and a device converting the semi-automatic handgun to fully automatic. Officers also found a loaded Glock 17C with a 31-round magazine, a loaded Zastava AK-style firearm with one bullet in the chamber, a sledgehammer, a pry bar, and a cash box.
The white BMW contained a handgun on the front passenger seat, a second firearm in the middle rear seat, and a sledgehammer in the backseat. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin stated that businesses should not operate in fear of armed groups breaking windows and kicking in doors. He added that the arrests send a message that the county will not sit idly by while businesses are preyed upon.
The four defendants are scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 23.
Source: Shaw Local Lake County
