Teen Charged With 6 Felony Drug Counts
RIVERSIDE, Ill. (STMW) - A 15-year-old west suburban high school student has been charged with six felonies after four other students who allegedly obtained drugs from him began to suffer ill effects from the drugs and were taken to a hospital on Friday.
At 9:54 a.m. Friday, the Riverside Police Department received a request for an ambulance to Riverside-Brookfield High School for the student on drugs, a release from police said. When Riverside paramedics and police officers arrived at the school they observed a 14-year-old boy from Brookfield under the influence of some type of drug. The boy related that he had obtained an unknown drug from another student at the school, a 15-year-old boy from Brookfield. The 14-year-old was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood for treatment.
While on scene the responding police officers were advised by school staff that three additional students were also under the influence of some type of drug. The Brookfield Fire Department's paramedics were called to the high school. All of the involved students: a 15-year-old from Riverside Lawn; a 14-year-old from Riverside, and a 15-year-old from Brookfield stated that they had purchased the drugs from the same 15-year-old student the first boy had. Two of these students were taken to Loyola Medical Center by Brookfield paramedics for treatment and one student was taken to Loyola by his parents for treatment. All of the students taken to Loyola were released a short time later.
The 15-year-old student from Brookfield was taken to the Riverside Police Department for investigation and his parents were contacted, the release said. The boy's parents gave the Riverside Police Department permission to search his bedroom, where the officers were able to recover various types of prescription medication, which were later identified as controlled substances.
The Cook County States Attorney's Office was contacted and six felony charges against the 15-year-old were approved. This included three for possession of a controlled substance on school grounds and three charges of manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance on school grounds. The juvenile will be petitioned to juvenile court, the release said.
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said, "this drug investigation is still ongoing at this time and Riverside Police personnel continue to collect evidence for submission to the crime lab. This is an extremely unusual case and the potential for serious injury was great". Chief Weitzel went on to say, "we continue to work directly with the school staff on issues that involve safety of the students and staff."
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