Boy, 17, faces murder charge after robbery plot turned into deadly shootout in Calumet City, prosecutors say

A 17-year-old boy was denied bail Saturday after he allegedly helped set up an attempted armed robbery that led to a deadly shootout last week in south suburban Calumet City.

Nehemiah Dotson helped create a fake Facebook account and impersonated a woman to lure 20-year-old Jocari Chapman into a meeting, Cook County prosecutors said in court Saturday.

Dotson and another 17-year-old planned to steal money and cannabis from Chapman when they met Wednesday afternoon in the 700 block of Buffalo Avenue in the south suburb, prosecutors said.

That meeting turned into a shootout when Dotson’s accomplice and Chapman began firing at one another, according to prosecutors.

Chapman, 20, was wounded in the attack and died at the scene.

Dotson’s accomplice was also wounded and was later taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for treatment, but had not been charged as of Saturday, prosecutors said.

Dotson admitted to police that he was involved in the plan to rob Chapman, and said he and his accomplice had committed an earlier robbery of a drug dealer in East Chicago, prosecutors said.

He was subsequently charged with murder and armed robbery.

“The state has indicated he has no other [criminal] background, other than this offense, but boy, what a way to start, Mr. Dotson,” Cook County Judge Charles Beach said during Dotson’s bond hearing.

Dotson didn’t appear to be coerced into committing this crime because his partner is also 17, Beach said in his ruling.

“This one just happened to go terribly terribly wrong for you,” Beach said. “I do believe that you are a danger to the community. And it pains me, Mr. Dotson, to say that about the 17-year-old person. I mean it literally pains me to say that someone 17 years old is a danger to our community.”

Dotson is expected back in court Tuesday.

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