COOK COUNTY, IL – A man awaiting trial on electronic monitoring for the 2017 murder of a disabled man was charged with a new felony weapons offense in connection with a shooting in Dolton that occurred when he travelled in a stolen car while on state-mandated free movement.
At approximately 10 a.m. on Jan. 31, Dolton Police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of an auto parts store in the 1100 block of Sibley Boulevard.
Upon arrival, officers found Torrey Lewis, 30, of Markham, in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Maxima with multiple gunshot wounds. A rifle and a handgun were found in the front passenger area.
A second man in the back seat of the vehicle had also suffered gunshot wounds, and officers also located two other men outside the vehicle with gunshot wounds.
Upon investigation, police learned that gunshots were being exchanged between Lewis’ vehicle and another vehicle. Additionally, the investigation determined the Maxima in which Lewis was found was reported stolen out of Chicago in December.
Lewis and the other three men were transported to local hospitals for treatment, and the Sheriff’s Office was notified of the incident. His absence from his host location did not generate an alert with the Sheriff’s Office Electronic Monitoring Unit because he was on state-mandated free movement at the time.
Since January 1, 2022, all individuals court-ordered to the electronic monitoring programs are automatically granted free movement two days per week under the SAFE-T Act in order to conduct essential tasks such as grocery shopping, job interviews, attending religious services, obtaining medical or mental health treatment, and other “basic activities” outlined in the Act.
While on free movement, the Sheriff’s Office cannot monitor their movement to ensure compliance with EM program rules, since there are no restrictions on movement other than a prohibition against leaving Cook County.
However, a subsequent review of Lewis’ GPS device history showed Lewis left his home at around 8:48 a.m. and proceeded to travel at high rates of speed throughout the South Suburbs, at times reaching speeds of over 100 miles an hour, until he arrived at the scene of the shooting. There is no evidence that Lewis was attempting to do his laundry, shop for groceries, or attend religious services during his high-speed travels.
Lewis was placed on EM while awaiting trial for murder, attempted carjacking, and armed robbery in connection with a July 2017 shooting that killed Timothy Horace, a disabled man who was shot in his wheelchair in front of his girlfriend outside a movie theater in Country Club Hills. Lewis was arrested in September 2018 and was initially ordered held in custody without bail at Cook County Jail.
In May 2020, his bond was reduced to $300,000 D with EM, and Lewis was placed on EM after posting the required 10% of the bond.
Lewis was charged with felony Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon in connection with the Jan. 31 incident. He remains hospitalized for his injuries, but his case was heard in Initial Appearance Court on Tuesday, where he was ordered held in custody at the Jail upon release from the hospital. The Sheriff’s Office also provided a petition for Violation of Conditions of Pre-Trial Release, which will be heard at his next court date on Thursday, Feb. 8, in Markham.
The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the government in a court of law.
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