Attempted Murder In Joliet's Teen Detention Center Leaves Victim 'Nonverbal': Prosecutors

JOLIET — Donovan Dewayne Burbridge, who has a long rap sheet even as a juvenile, is now being charged as an adult with attempted murder in connection with last year's brutal and premeditated attack upon a fellow inmate at Joliet's River Valley Juvenile Detention Center off McDonough Street.

The Joliet detention center crime has left Burbridge's teenage victim in a nonverbal state, Will County's prosecutors noted, adding, "Victim is still on a feeding tube needing assistance with feeding and unable to swallow." The victim also had surgery on his head and his "hands are contracted," the court documents show.

As for Burbridge, he was smiling after the premeditated attack that left his victim motionless on the floor, court documents say.

"The entire attack is on video and it lasts about 15 to 20 seconds," prosecutors said in court filings. "Per the staff removing defendant Burbridge, he was laughing as he was removed from the room to a holding cell."

At just 16 years old, Burbridge, who comes from Kankakee, is now being charged this week as an adult in Will County with the crimes of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery and mob action.

According to Will County prosecutors, Burbridge teamed up with another juvenile to carry out the attack on the 17-year-old, who is also from Kankakee. The crime happened around 8 p.m. on March 24, 2024, and the victim had only been in Joliet at River Valley for less than 24 hours. At the time of the brutal beating, the victim was in a math classroom that is used for recreation and free time before bedtime, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, the victim was seated in a school-style desk when Burbridge, then just 15 years old, and another inmate, N.M., who is a minor, got up together from a table where they were playing cards and approached the victim. "Both Burbridge and co-defendant N.M. threw repeated rapid punches at victim," prosecutors outlined in their petition for pretrial detention. "Victim had his back to the attack. Victim was struck and went to the ground into a fetal position but may have been knocked out as he did not really move/defend himself."

At that point, Burbridge and N.M. "stomped victim's head and kicked victim repeatedly and violently and attacked victim together as victim was motionless on the ground," the petition said.

According to prosecutors, River Vally staff member Cassandra Cruz ordered Burbridge and the co-defendant into lockdown, but they did not comply; she radioed for help and other River Valley detention staff came into the room, and the two juveniles were detained and removed from the room.

As for the victim, when River Valley staff found him, his eyes were closed. He was breathing and snoring. An ambulance rushed him to St. Joe's hospital, and he was taken by helicopter to Loyola in Maywood. The victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and "was in critical condition and not expected to live," prosecutors explained.

Another detainee at the Joliet youth detention center later told authorities that Burbridge and N.M., the minor, were talking in their cells about attacking the victim and "they were going to attack victim while the detainee was sitting at the card table just before the attack."

One month prior to the March 2024 attack, Burbridge and the same co-defendant were involved in a different inmate attack at River Valley, court files show. In that case, Burbridge was asking a new inmate about his gang affiliation upon his arrival at the Joliet facility.

Will County prosecutors revealed that Burbridge is affiliated with the "MOS" gang while N.M. is affiliated with the "Too Wicked" gang and the victim in that incident was affiliated with the "Ova East" gang, court files show. According to court documents, that victim's family later saw a Facebook post "believed to belong to defendant Burbridge ... Defendant Burbridge is said to go by Lil Moe and co-defendant by Baby Wick or Lil Nate ... the post indicated, 'We just stomped peanut ta sleep last night omdh that luh shii y'all did at the high school we nothing *** laughing/crying emojis. Victim's father indicated victim was involved in a fight last season at a Kankakee High School football game. Defendant and victim are from Kankakee."

Burbridge's criminal history includes charges out of Kankakee from December 2022 for aggravated vehicle hijacking with a gun, armed robbery with a gun, vehicle hijacking, aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a motor vehicle. He had a May 2022 arrest for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest and a June 2023 arrest for escape for cutting off his electronic home monitoring bracelet.

"Defendant also has a case from ... Feb. 9, 2024, for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in which a gun was recovered during an (Illinois Department of Corrections) home check," court files show.