A Repeat Felon Sentenced to 16 Years for Attempted Murder of Sheriff’s Investigator
A repeat felon who escaped electronic monitoring while awaiting trial for multiple sexual assaults has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for trying to kill the Cook County sheriff’s office investigator who attempted to take him back into custody.
Valentino Wilbourn was charged in January 2019 with multiple sex crimes, including allegations involving victims under the age of 18 and sexually assaulting victims while threatening their lives, according to court records. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Judge Carol Howard released him on $30,000 bail with electronic monitoring.
While on the ankle monitor, prosecutors said, Wilbourn was supposed to remain inside a home he shared with his then-girlfriend and her father. But in January 2022, family members became concerned after Wilbourn obtained a 30-round ammunition magazine, which they believed he might use to shoot the police if they came to the house, officials said.
According to prosecutors, the girlfriend’s father took his dog, left the home, and contacted the sheriff’s office to revoke consent for Wilbourn to stay there. While the father spoke with Chicago police officers outside the home, Wilbourn left through the back door, prosecutors alleged.
Sheriff’s investigators followed the GPS signal from Wilbourn’s ankle monitor and located him driving in the South Shore neighborhood. Two marked squad cars activated their emergency lights and trapped Wilbourn’s vehicle in a dead-end alley.
Wilbourn allegedly put his car in neutral, told his girlfriend that he loved her, and told her to duck. He then exited the vehicle and began running while firing at the investigators, prosecutors said. Four rounds struck one of the squad cars, but no officers were injured.
Investigators returned fire, striking Wilbourn, but he continued shooting after falling to the ground.
On Tuesday, Wilbourn pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder and received a 16-year prison sentence from Judge Carol Howard, court records show.
While in custody awaiting trial on the shooting case, Wilbourn also resolved the pending sex cases. Records show he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual assault involving threats to the victim and one count of criminal sexual abuse in exchange for an effective 14-year sentence, also imposed by Judge Howard.
Wilbourn was never charged with escaping electronic monitoring.
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