Joliet shooting suspect arrested in sweep called ‘Operation New Year’s Resolution’

A suspect in a shooting Jan. 3 in Joliet was arrested Thursday with nine other suspects in unrelated cases as part of the Joliet Police Department’s “Operation New Year’s Resolution” sweep.

About 12:10 p.m. Thursday, Romeo Nance, 22, of Joliet, was booked into the Will County jail on charges of aggravated discharge of a weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault and other charges in connection with the Jan. 3 incident.

Nance was arrested with nine other suspects with outstanding arrest warrants in unrelated felony and misdemeanor cases.

The Joliet Police Department called the apprehension of those defendants “Operation New Year’s Resolution.”

In a statement, Joliet police Chief William Evans said he was “extremely proud of the men and women of this department” who worked on the apprehension of 10 suspects.

“The Joliet Police Department is committed to keeping the streets of our city safe. ‘Operation New Year’s Resolution’ will help to ensure that these arrested individuals be held responsible for their criminal actions,” Evans said.

The incident that led to Nance’s arrest began at 9:10 a.m. Jan. 3, when officers responded to Brentwood Place and Westfield Road for a report of shots fired, according to a statement from Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.

Officers determined that a 36-year-old woman was driving a vehicle south on North Larkin Avenue from Route 30 when another vehicle driven by a man began honking while he was behind her, English said.

The driver then pulled up to the victim in the 1300 block of North Larkin Avenue and threw a water bottle at the woman’s vehicle, English said. The woman called 911.

Both vehicles traveled west on Ingalls Avenue when the male driver pointed a gun back toward the woman and fired multiple rounds, English said.

Both vehicles continued through a nearby neighborhood, ending in the area of Ingalls Avenue and Brentwood Place, where the suspect fired more rounds at the victim, English said. The suspect then fled south on Brentwood Place.

“The victim’s vehicle and a residence in the 1300 block of Brentwood Place were struck by gunfire,” English said.

No injuries were reported, and numerous spent shell casings were recovered from the location, he said.

Nance was identified by detectives as the suspect in the incident, English said. A warrant was secured for Nance’s arrest Tuesday.

At 10:45 a.m. Thursday, officers saw Nance in a vehicle in the 2200 block of West Acres Road, and he was placed into custody after a brief struggle with officers, English said. Afterward, officers found a loaded .380-caliber handgun in the vehicle, he said.

Police said the nine other people arrested as part of “Operation New Year’s Resolution” were the following:

• Veiker Amesty-Vargas, 19, of Joliet, on a charge of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer

• Cristian Ambriz, 21, of Elwood, on charges of theft, financial institution fraud, wire fraud and state benefits fraud

• Robert Bender, 68, of Joliet, on a charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance

• Joseph Brown, 30, of Joliet, on a charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance

• Martin Carreon, 55, of Joliet, on a charge of burglary

• Calvin Conway, 35, of Joliet, on a charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance

• Julie Davis, 41, of Lockport, on a charge of failure to appear in a narcotics case

• Tayvion Davis, 19, of Joliet, on a charge of battery

• Maurice Robinson, 46, of Joliet, on a charge of theft, financial institution fraud and wire fraud