Man threw an explosive device into Illinois restaurant, feds say. He’s going to prison
A man was sentenced to prison after prosecutors say he threw an explosive device into an Illinois restaurant and caused significant damage.
Diego Vargas, 27, is accused of throwing an explosive device into Egg Harbor Cafe in Naperville, Ill., on June 1, 2020, prosecutors said in a March 7 news release.
“Unfortunately the sentence was excessive, because a mandatory minimum applied,” Michael Leonard, Vargas’ lawyer, told McClatchy News. “It’s strikingly excessive given the other unrest riots that have happened in Chicago recently.”
According to a sentencing memo, the Aurora resident threw a street pole through the restaurant’s window and then threw the explosive device inside.
The restaurant was closed during the incident, which sparked two explosions, and no injuries were reported, the release said. The second explosion caused significant damage, the sentencing memo said.
That evening Vargas also stole jewelry from a Pandora store and broke the windows of a furniture store, the memo said.
Prosecutors said Vargas also tried to break into an ATM the night before.
Vargas was sentenced last week to five years in prison.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 6:11 PM.
