Joliet man shot at two teens as part of ongoing gang feud: cops

An 18-year-old faces new charges alleging he shot at two teens in Joliet as part of a gang feud, according to police and court records.

On Friday, Jesus Mendoza was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by gang member, possession of a firearm without an owner’s identification card and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

The new charges stem from a March 25 incident where he fired a .40-caliber handgun at a teen in the 1100 block of Sterling Avenue in Joliet, according to a criminal complaint.

Will County deputies investigated the case and learned a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old were walking in an area near Thayer and Sterling avenues when Mendoza shot at them while he was riding in a Chevrolet Aveo, said sheriff spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer.

The 16-year-old fired back at Mendoza, she said.

The two victims were interviewed by deputies and the 15-year-old was released, Hoffmeyer said. The 16-year-old was taken to River Valley Juvenile Detention Center and charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, she said.

Mendoza was already at the Will County jail when detectives interviewed him about the shooting, Hoffmeyer said. He made statements that implicated him as the shooter and indicated the incident was part of an ongoing gang feud, she said.

Mendoza was jailed on March 26 after Joliet police officers arrested him for firing his gun at a man's vehicle at Herkimer Street, police said. Mendoza was a passenger in a Nissan driven by 18-year-old Jada Boykin, police said.

They pursued the man’s vehicle prior to the shooting, police said.

Boykin was arrested on probable cause of unlawful use of a weapon and released on her own recognizance. Formal charges have not been filed against her.

On Sept. 24, Mendoza was charged with several firearm-related crimes that were later dismissed.

State’s attorney spokeswoman Carole Cheney said prosecutors made a determination at the time "based on the evidence not to proceed with the prosecution of the matter."