Anthony Newborn, 17, has been a ward of the State of Illinois for at least seven years, with little contact with his parents during that time.
On Monday, Newborn pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful restraint, stemming from an incident last year that occurred while he was institutionalized at a Naperville residential treatment facility for troubled youth.
But DuPage County Judge George Bakalis put off sentencing for at least a week while the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services searches for another residential treatment program that is willing to accept Newborn.
Authorities said Newborn grew up in a highly dysfunctional family and was abandoned by his divorced parents and by other family members over the years.
Abraham Nedungatt, a child welfare specialist with DCFS, told Bakalis Monday that Newborn has lived in a series of foster homes and institutions.
During a fight last year at Linden Oaks in Naperville, Newborn placed a pillow over another resident’s face for several minutes, after the other resident allegedly made derogatory remarks about Newborn’s mother, prosecutors said. The victim wasn’t seriously injured, but Newborn was arrested and placed in the DuPage County Jail.
Assistant State’s Atty. Alex McGimpsey asked that Newborn be sentenced to 2 years in prison. “I understand his life hasn’t been fair and he hasn’t been given a fair deal of the cards, but you can’t use violence to settle disputes,” McGimpsey said.
But Senior Assistant Public Defender Neil Levin asked for leniency, based on Newborn’s tortured background. “He has had a childhood out of Charles Dickens. He has been thrown away by his parents and his family is now government workers,” Levin said.
Newborn, who placed his head in his arms and cried during the hearing, apologized for the incident and said he dreams about things like going to college and someday making his father proud.
Bakalis said the case puts the court in a precarious position. “Is there no place for him but the Department of Corrections, which I am not inclined to consider, (but) I can’t give him probation and place him back on the street where he has no place to go.
“Straight probation doesn’t serve the public; the state says throw away the key; and making him be a homeless person makes no sense,” Bakalis added.
Although Newborn’s court case is under the jurisdiction of adult criminal law, he is eligible to remain in DCFS custody until he turns 21, said Nedungatt, who added that he has recently sought residential treatment for Newborn in several metropolitan facilities. Some have rejected the request because of Newborn’s suspected aggressive nature, Nedungatt said, but he is still waiting to hear from several other facilities.
