A DuPage County judge on Friday rejected pretrial release for 20-year-old Javier Munoz, who prosecutors say opened fire on a vehicle in a West Chicago apartment complex parking lot last November, less than 1,000 feet from an elementary school. No one was injured, but police say bullets hit a Ford Explorer and shattered a nearby patio door. Munoz remains in custody, with an arraignment set for April 13.
What prosecutors allege
Prosecutors say the incident unfolded on Nov. 7, 2025, in the parking lot of the Timberlake Apartment Complex at 1220 S. Kings Cross. Munoz allegedly jogged up to a moving Ford Explorer and fired several rounds while a mother and her 16-year-old were inside. Investigators later recovered five spent shell casings at the scene and say the gunfire damaged the SUV and blew out a nearby patio door. The account comes from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
Judge denies pretrial release
Munoz, of North Aurora, was charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm after an arrest warrant was issued in early March, and he was taken into custody. Judge Joshua Dieden granted the state’s motion to keep Munoz detained before trial, and Munoz is due back in court for arraignment on April 13.
“The allegations that Mr. Munoz opened fire on a vehicle with two occupants in a public parking lot within one thousand feet of a school are extremely disturbing and will be met with the full force of the law,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Nearby school and neighborhood context
The parking lot is a short walk from Wegner Elementary School. The district lists the school’s address as 1180 Marcella Lane on the West Chicago Elementary School District website, per the West Chicago Elementary School District. That proximity, along with the presence of a teenager in the vehicle prosecutors say was targeted, is among the reasons authorities pushed to keep Munoz in custody ahead of trial.
Legal implications
Munoz faces two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a charge under Illinois law that applies when someone knowingly fires toward an occupied vehicle or building. Legal guides note that the statute, 720 ILCS 5/24-1.2, is often treated as a serious felony and can carry years in prison if a defendant is convicted. For a detailed overview of the statute and typical penalties, see the guide from Guilamo Law Firm…