Plainfield convicted thief brandished gun at man in Joliet: cops

A Plainfield man convicted of stealing jewelry during a 2017 home invasion was back in jail on gun charges.

About 10 a.m. Friday, Lavon Young, 25, was booked into the Kendall County jail on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of ammunition and possessing a weapon without a firearm owner’s identification card.

Young was arrested after officers responded to the parking lot of the 7166 Caton Farm Road Anytime Fitness for a report of a man with a gun, Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

A man was preparing to exit his vehicle in the parking lot when Young approached him and asked for a lighter, English said.

“Young then pointed a handgun at the victim and then fled the parking lot. Officers were provided a description of Young,” English said.

Officers later tracked Young down in another area and saw him trying to pass off a firearm to a woman, English said.

“Officers placed Young in custody and recovered a 9 mm handgun,” English said.

In 2019, Young pleaded guilty to entering a Joliet home belonging to the wife of Andres Alonso, 31, and stealing jewelry. Charges of home invasion and armed robbery were dropped as part of the plea deal.

Young’s attorney, Jeff Tomczak, tried to suppress evidence in the case because he argued the information that led to Young’s arrest was unreliable and tainted.

Tomczak argued three men – Alonso, Sergio Flores, 35, and Marlon Crosby, 29 – obtained information from Andres Ochoa, 26, through torture and the Joliet police executed a search warrant at Young’s residence based on that information.

Alonso claimed Ochoa was one of several armed intruders who stole about $10,000 worth of property from his wife’s home July 10, 2017.

Alonso testified in court that he punched Ochoa in the face out of anger after reading a text message on Ochoa’s phone that seemed to indicate he was involved the robbery.

Alonso and Flores pleaded guilty to aggravated battery in connection with the incident. They were sentenced to probation.

Crosby was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated battery.