Two people have been charged following the theft of a school resource officer’s service weapon in Chicago’s northwest suburbs.
The incident resulted in canceled classes on Tuesday, and the weapon has yet to be recovered.
Arlington Heights police said Wednesday that 18-year-old Juan Pablo Sanchez Jaramillo, a student, grabbed the officer’s unattended pistol from a lavatory at Forest View Educational Center after school ended Monday.
According to police, Sanchez Jaramillo disguised the firearm and moved it off school grounds before passing it to a 17-year-old in a nearby neighborhood.
On Tuesday night, detectives carried out a search warrant in the community where the firearm was last seen. Authorities seized a rail-mounted tactical flashlight that was attached to the stolen rifle.
Detectives also searched a residence but could not find the firearm. The youngster was detained and transported to the Arlington Heights Police Department.
The location of the stolen firearm is unknown.
Sanchez Jaramillo will face one count of unauthorized possession of a weapon in a school, a Class 3 felony, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Authorities charged the teenager with one count of possession of a stolen firearm (a Class 2 felony) and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon in a school (a Class 3 felony).
The kid also faces a Class A misdemeanor charge of theft of lost or misplaced items.
Police said they believe others may know where the firearm is.
Anyone with information should contact Arlington Heights police or their local police station. Tips can be submitted to investigators at 847-368-5300 or [email protected]. The school resource officer remains on administrative leave, and an internal affairs inquiry is underway.
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