19-year-old man caught with defaced gun outside Joliet CVS: cops

A 19-year-old man was charged with unlawfully possessing a handgun after he allegedly went into a CVS drug store in Joliet this week with a loaded .380-caliber handgun that had a defaced serial number, Joliet police said.

Lucio Gomez, of the 1400 block of Lakewood Drive, was arrested in connection with the incident that took place about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday at CVS, 3200 Caton Farm Road, which is in the west side of Joliet.

Sgt. Dwayne English said that police found a man outside the store who matched a description of the suspect who brought a handgun into the store. Police saw the man, later identified as Gomez, discard an item in an area near the parking lot on the northwest side of Caton Farm and Essington roads, he said.

Officers then recovered a loaded .380-caliber handgun from the area where Gomez was seen by officers “kneeling and dropping an item,” English said. The gun’s serial number had been defaced, English said.

On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Gomez with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, court records show.

Gomez previously was charged on May 18 with retail theft at Menards, 2524 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, court records show. Gomez pleaded not guilty to the charge.