DuPage County, Illinois – A Melrose Park man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a 2017 road rage shooting that left another driver seriously injured, DuPage County prosecutors announced.
According to DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, Angelo Navarro, 31, was sentenced following a three-day bench trial that concluded in September 2025 before Judge Daniel Guerin. Navarro was found guilty of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, both Class X felonies under Illinois law.
The shooting occurred on Oct. 28, 2017, at approximately 2 p.m., near York Road and Diversey Avenue in Elmhurst. Elmhurst police responded to a report of a crash and found a vehicle with a shattered driver’s side window. Officers located the victim outside the vehicle, bleeding from the face.
Investigators determined the victim had been shot in the left cheek, with the bullet exiting through the right cheek. The victim was transported to a hospital and underwent surgery for his injuries.
Authorities said Navarro and the victim had been stopped at an intersection when Navarro drove around the victim and proceeded to drive away. Prosecutors said Navarro then followed the victim, pulled alongside his vehicle in oncoming traffic, and fired a handgun through the front passenger-side window, striking the victim in the face.
Navarro was originally released on bond but was later taken into custody after the court revoked his pretrial release following the guilty verdict. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail.
Berlin said Navarro must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
In a statement, Berlin called Navarro’s actions a “complete disregard for public safety” and urged drivers to remain calm during traffic disputes and contact 911 rather than taking matters into their own hands.
