Four Charged After Beating, Robbery

Four young men have been charged in connection with the beating and robbery of a 14-year-old boy.

The attack took place around 5:40 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Wisconsin Avenue, when police say the four attackers approached the teen from behind. One of them, Devin Weaver, 19, of Glen Ellyn, threw the victim to the ground and began punching.

The other three — identified as Rodrick Smith and Lavert Horne, both 17-year-old Berkeley residents, and 19-year-old James Burns of Bellwood, — quickly piled on with kicks and punches. During the melee, the victim's wallet and iPod were stolen.

The four then ran away south on Kenilworth Avenue toward Madison Street, said Oak Park Police Det. Cmdr. LaDon Reynolds.

The victim contacted police and gave them the descriptions of his assailants. A resident flagged down an officer and told him that he saw four men get into a tan Jeep Cherokee police. The SUV car was stopped at Harlem Avenue and Jackson Street by Forest Park police, Reynolds said.

The victim’s items were recovered. He did not require medical treatment, Reynolds said. The four were scheduled for a Tuesday bond hearing in Maybrook.