Drive-By Shooter Captured 9 Months After Joliet Crimes: JPD

JOLIET — The Joliet Police Department announced that 19-year-old Benjamin Onate was put in the Will County Jail by Joliet police on charges of possessing a gun without a FOID card, defacing a gun, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

According to the press release from Sgt. Dwayne English:

On December 1, 2023, at 3:06 a.m., the officers responded to the 100 block of Morris Street for a report of shots fired. A house was struck multiple times with the gunfire.

No injuries were reported in the shooting. During a canvas of the area, the officers recovered over 10 spent shell casings from the street.

Later in the same morning, the vehicle believed to be in the shooting was located unoccupied in the 1000 block of Ridgewood Avenue.

During an examination of the evidence in this case, which included multiple search warrants of electronic information, Onate was identified as a suspect in the possession of a handgun which appeared to have a defaced serial number. It was determined that Onate did not possess a FOID card.

On September 3, the detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Onate for the charges.

Finally, on Wednesday, Onate arrived at the Joliet Police Department to speak with detectives at which time he was placed into custody without incident.

"This case remains under investigation," English noted.