Friday, August 7, 1987

Illinois: Teen With Pit Bull Guilty Of Armed Robbery

ILLINOIS -- A Cook County Juvenile Court judge found a teenager guilty of armed robbery Wednesday, ruling that the pit-bull terrier he ordered to attack his victim was a "dangerous weapon."

The youth, now 17, used the dog when he robbed another teenager last month in the 1400 block of South Ashland Avenue, said Assistant State`s Atty. Jeffrey Ryan.

"He demanded money, and when it was refused, a struggle took place and he commanded the dog," Ryan said. "He said, `Get him!'"

The dog latched onto the victim's knee. When the youth managed to free his leg, the dog leaped up and grabbed his jacket. The youth fled, leaving his jacket behind, still in the dog's grasp. The robber got the jacket and a pair of sunglasses that were in a pocket, but no money, Ryan said.

"The dog was an active participant in the robbery-- he was the one who took the jacket," Ryan said.

The victim, treated at Cook County Hospital, later identified a dog tied outside the defendant`s home as the one that attacked him. The dog was taken to the city`s animal pound, where it is to be destroyed Thursday.

Ryan argued that the pit bull qualified as a "weapon" when used by the robber, whose name was withheld because of his age at the time of arrest. Judge Julia Dempsey agreed and found the youth delinquent on charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery.

The teenager, released over Ryan`s objection, will be sentenced Sept. 21.

(Chicago Tribune - August 6, 1987)