$799K Going To Family Of Man In Fatal Meijer Parking Lot Dragging

WAUKEGAN, IL — The family of a North Chicago man who died during a 2017 cell phone robbery by three teens has recovered $799,000 in a settlement in the civil case. According to a release, the settlement was approved on May 14 in Lake County by Judge Mitchell Hoffman. The law firm Soffietti, Johnson, Teegen, Argueta & Bawcum, Ltd. obtained the settlement on the behalf of the family of Trinidad Javier Bueno-Sanchez, who was dragged and thrown from a car during a cell phone robbery on April 24, 2017, in the parking lot of a Round Lake Beach Meijer store, according to a release from the law firm.

That day, Bueno-Sanchez had placed an ad on the social media application "Offer Up" to sell his Apple cell phone for $450 so that he could afford a prom dress for his daughter, the release said. The three teen defendants responded to the ad using a fake name and agreed to purchase the phone for $450, in addition to making plans to meet Bueno-Sanchez at the Meijer store to make the purchase, the law firm said.

According to a release, the teens never planed to pay the man his asking price and instead put together a scheme using a sealed envelope with $450 written on it, with only $3 and a Walmart receipt inside.

That night, Bueno-Sanchez approached the passenger side of the vehicle driven by a 17-year-old girl when it arrived in the parking lot. The vehicle was reportedly also occupied by a woman and four other teenage girls, Round Lake Beach Police Department reported in a release. When Bueno-Sanchez approached, he confirmed he had been communicating with one of the girls in the vehicle regarding the sale of the cellphone, according to the news release. The girl requested to look at the cellular phone, and he gave the phone to her, according to police.

According to the law firm, Mr. Bueno-Sanchez was handed the envelope, and while trying to open the envelope to ensure correct payment, the teenage driver sped off with Mr. Bueno-Sanchez still hanging from the passenger side window. Because of the speed of the vehicle, Bueno-Sanchez ended up being thrown from the car, hitting his head on the pavement, causing his death.

Related:

• Teen Guilty In Botched Robbery, Dragging Death
• Bail Reduction Denied for Teen in Meijer Parking Lot Dragging Death
• Family Remembers Father of 7 Dragged by Car, Killed While Trying to Sell Cell Phone
• Lawsuit Filed by Family of Man Fatally Dragged in Round Lake

“Because of a cell phone, this family lost a husband, a father and a grandfather,” said David J. Bawcum, the family’s attorney, who represented them in the lawsuit. “While obviously no amount of money can change this incredibly senseless tragedy, based on the limited amount of insurance available to these defendants, the family is pleased with this outcome.”

Courtney A. Sherman, 18, of the unit block of Tweed Road in Fox Lake, and two 17-year-old girls have been charged with reckless homicide in connection with Bueno-Sanchez's death,

In addition to the teens that were involved, the lawsuit also named their parents as defendants under the Illinois Parental Responsibility Act.