A Melrose Park man has been sentenced to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for a road rage shooting that occurred in 2017. Angelo Navarro, 31, was found guilty after a three-day bench trial before Judge Daniel Guerin, which concluded on September 11, 2025. Navarro was convicted of one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and one count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm.
The incident took place on October 28, 2017, near York Road and Diversey Avenue in Elmhurst. Police responded to reports of a crash and found a vehicle with a shattered driver’s side window. The driver had been shot in the face and required surgery for his injuries. Authorities determined that after a traffic altercation at an intersection, Navarro followed the victim, pulled alongside him, and fired into the car.
Navarro was initially held on $1.5 million bond but later had his bond reduced to $750,000. He posted bail in October 2022 but was taken back into custody following his conviction last September.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin commented on the sentencing: “Mr. Navarro’s incredible display of complete disregard for public safety will cost him eighteen years of his life behind bars,” Berlin said. “In addition to shooting at another motorist, his actions not only endangered the life of the passengers in his vehicle, but also the lives of the motoring public. Thankfully, no other innocent motorists were injured. I wish the best to the victim of this shooting who is still physically and emotionally recovering from his injuries. I remind the public once again that if you find yourself involved in a traffic altercation, do not take matters into your own hands. Remain calm, don’t let your emotions get the better of you and if necessary, call 9-1-1. I thank the Elmhurst Police Department as well as Assistant State’s Attorneys Helen Kapas, Robert Willis and Alyssa Rabulinski for their efforts in holding Mr. Navarro responsible for his actions.”
Navarro must serve at least 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
DuPage County schools have reported several statistics related to student demographics and staffing during recent years. For example, York Community High School had the highest enrollment of white students among county schools during the 2022-23 academic year with 1,844 students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). In addition, Addison Trail High School recorded the highest number of Hispanic students enrolled at 1,259 during that same period (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).
