Three men get 20-plus years each for University Park home invasion

August 27

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that three men each have been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for committing a home invasion in University Park in 2011.

Larnell Weston, 29, of Dixmoor, and Ternell Weston, 26, of Calumet Park, were both sentenced to 23 years in prison by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak. The judge sentenced Raunchino James, 27, of Chicago Heights, to 21 years in prison.

The three men were convicted of home invasion, residential burglary and armed robbery at the conclusion of a bench trial in January.

The three men kicked in the door of a University Park residence where a woman and her 12-year-old son were living in the early-morning hours of Feb. 19, 2011. They pointed guns at the woman and her son and demanded money. The men then ransacked the residence and fled with cash, an Xbox gaming system, video games, a laptop, a camera, a camcorder and other items. The son pleaded with the three not to hurt his mother.

University Park Police canvassed a nearby wooded area and spotted three men fitting the description of the suspects. They saw the men flee into an apartment building and arrested them there.

State’s Attorney Glasgow credited prosecutors Frank Byers and Tom Slazyk with putting three dangerous men in prison.

“Our citizens have an absolute right to feel safe inside their homes,” he said. “These three armed thugs not only stole cash and belongings from these innocent people, they completely violated their sense of security, and for that they are going to prison for a long time.”