16-year-old Evanston boy facing gun, drug charges

A 16-year-old boy was charged with possessing marijuana and a loaded 16 mm Beretta handgun Thursday evening in Evanston. | Evanston police

A 16-year-old Evanston boy is facing felony weapons and drug charges after he was caught with marijuana and a loaded handgun Thursday evening in the north suburb.

An Evanston Police Department tactical unit was near Marshfield Avenue and Jonquil Terrace about 7 p.m. looking for the boy, who was wanted by detectives for an incident in August, police said in a statement. When the officers spotted the boy and tried to stop him, he ran away.

The officers pursued him and eventually took him into custody in the 7600 block of North Bosworth, according to police. They found about 10 grams of marijuana and a loaded 9 mm Beretta handgun in his possession.

The boy is charged with one felony count each of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon without a FOID card and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, police said. He was taken to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.