Palatine Home Invasion: 3 Females Charged, 1 Still At-Large

A 12-year-old boy who was home alone, was injured during a home invasion and armed robbery committed by four females, according to a press release from the Palatine Police Department. 

The incident occurred on Wednesday, April 24 before 9 p.m. in the 400 block of E. Osage Lane.

The press release states the boy was watching television when a female suspect knocked at the patio door; the initial suspect said she was a friend of his older sister’s.

When he told her his sister was not home, she left – but returned with three other females 10 minutes later and asked if they could use the bathroom.

The boy let the four females into the apartment believing they were all friends of his sister’s, the release states, and was then hit in the back of the head by one of the suspects with an empty ketchup bottle. 

Two of the female suspects then proceeded to enter the kitchen and bedrooms and took $50 in cash, two cell phones and miscellaneous jewelry, the release states.

The boy’s older sister returned home at 9:09 p.m. and immediately called 9-1-1 to report her brother had been injured. Palatine Police and Palatine Fire personnel arrived on the scene and transported the boy to Northwest Community Hospital for non-threatening lacerations to the back of the head.

During the investigation, the release states that police learned the four females involved were former friends of the boy’s sister, and three of them voluntarily confessed to their involvement on Friday, April 26 at police headquarters.

Vanessa Mejia, 17, of the 1500 block of Silver Lane, and Sendi Ocampo, 18, of the 1200 block of Long Valley Lane, are both charged with armed robbery and home invasion. A court date for both women is scheduled for April 29.

A 16-year-old juvenile who also confessed faces the same charges; she was transported to the Juvenile Justice Detention Center in Chicago on Friday night.

The fourth subject, who has not been named by police, is still at-large, the release states.