Teen charged in connection to missing gun at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights ordered held
One of the two teens charged with allegedly taking and concealing an Arlington Heights school resource officer's gun will remain in custody after a court appearance Thursday.
Arlington Heights police said that Juan Pablo Sanchez Jaramillo, 18, of Mount Prospect, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon in a school. A 17-year-old was also charged with possession of a stolen firearm and unlawful possession of a weapon in a school, and a misdemeanor count of theft of lost or mislaid property.
According to court documents, police said the officer was using the bathroom at Forest View Educational Center and had taken off his gun, which had a flashlight attachment, and placed it on the toilet paper dispenser mounted on the stall wall while he used the bathroom. Documents said he got an urgent phone call and left the bathroom, leaving his gun behind.
Police said when the officer realized his firearm was missing at about 3:10 p.m., he went to the bathroom but couldn't find it. When he watched security footage from the school, he saw several people, including Sanchez Jaramillo, enter and exit the bathroom between when he left the bathroom and when he realized his gun was gone. Police said in court documents that Sanchez Jaramillo was seen bringing a backpack into the bathroom during this time and leaving approximately one minute later; they said they also saw him on video leaving the school while holding a bulge sticking out of his right back pocket.
Police said the day after the incident, when classes were canceled, they found Sanchez Jaramillo at his home and spoke with him. Police said he told them the 17-year-old also charged in this case saw the gun in the bathroom and asked him to get it for him, and he took the gun from the bathroom. Police said Sanchez Jaramillo told them he brought the other teen the gun at his home and gave it to him in exchange for a bicycle.
Police said during a search of that area on Tuesday, a tactical flashlight that was attached to the gun before it had gone missing was found in the 17-year-old's bedroom and matched by serial number.
The 17-year-old was arrested, but officers did not recover the missing gun, according to police.
Sanchez Jaramillo was ordered detained until his next court date on May 29. The 17-year-old appeared in juvenile court Wednesday and was released on electronic monitoring, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said.
The school resource officer is on administrative leave amid the ongoing investigation.