Three More Teens Charged in Roscoe Village Beating Tied to 'Lakeview Goons'

Chicago police have charged three more 16-year-olds in connection with the April beating and robbery of a 19-year-old man in Roscoe Village, bringing the total number of juveniles charged in the case to eight.

The latest arrests, announced Thursday, come roughly two months after the April 4 attack in the 3500 block of North Hoyne Avenue near Audubon Elementary School. Police said a group of teens surrounded the 19-year-old, punched and kicked him, and stole his belongings before scattering.

Each of the three newly charged juveniles faces one felony count of robbery and one felony count of aggravated battery in a public place, police said.

Surveillance footage of the attack, reviewed by Block Club Chicago in the days after it happened, showed the victim trying to avoid a group of teens before they closed in around him near the school. More teens joined as the assault continued, and the group took his jacket and other belongings before running off.

The victim's father told Block Club Chicago that he and his other sons went out searching the neighborhood after getting a call about the attack. They caught up with one of the teens suspected of taking part and held him until officers arrived.

The case drew heavy attention in the weeks after the attack, with neighbors and Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) raising the possibility that those involved were connected to a group of teenagers who have called themselves the "Lakeview Goons" online. Residents in Lakeview, Roscoe Village and North Center have linked that group to years of harassment and other incidents in the area. Police have not confirmed any tie between the teens now facing charges and that group.

The attack pushed residents to press police at community meetings for updates on the investigation and to push for identification of everyone who took part. Many said they had reported troubling behavior from groups of teens in the neighborhood for years before the April assault brought the issue into wider view.

No trial date has been set, according to a member of the victim's family. Because all of the defendants are juveniles, most of the court proceedings in the case are closed to the public.

Police said Thursday they had no additional updates to share and that the investigation remains open. Five other teens were previously charged in the case in the months following the attack.

The eight juveniles charged face felony counts that will be handled through the juvenile court system. As of Thursday, police had not announced any additional charges or a court date.