Kankakee teen charged with attempted murder at Joliet juvenile detention center

A teen detainee of the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet has been charged with the 2024 attempted murder of a detainee who suffered traumatic brain injury in an attack, according to prosecutors.

On Monday, Donovan Burbridge, 16, of Kankakee, was charged as an adult with the attempted first-degree murder of a detainee. He was also charged with aggravated battery and mob action.

Burbridge was 15 and the victim was 17 at the time of the incident, according to a petition from prosecutors to keep Burbridge in jail.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak ordered Burbridge to remain detained under the SAFE-T Act while his case is pending.

The victim had been admitted to River Valley Juvenile Detention Center less than 24 hours before the attack.

One of the detainees claimed Burbridge and a 16-year-old alleged accomplice had gang ties, prosecutors said.

Burbridge and the 16-year-old apparently asked the victim about his gang affiliation when he arrived at the detention facility, prosecutors said.

Before the incident, the victim had been in a classroom at the detention facility and seated alone in a “single school-style desk,” prosecutors said.

Other detainees were also in the room.

After about 20 minutes, Burbridge and the 16-year-old “got up in unison” from the table where they were playing cards and walked toward the victim, prosecutors said.

Burbridge and the 16-year-old allegedly threw “repeated rapid punches at the victim,” who had his “back to the attack,” prosecutors said.

The victim went into a “fetal position” but he may have been “knocked out” as he did not “really move” to defend himself, prosecutors said.

Burbridge and the 16-year-old were accused of stomping on the victim’s head and kicking him repeatedly while he was motionless on the ground, prosecutors said.

The entire attack was captured on video, which lasts about 15 to 20 seconds, prosecutors said.

Burbridge and the 16-year-old ignored commands from the staff to “lockdown” but they were eventually removed from the room by staff, prosecutors said.

The staff reported that Burbridge was “laughing as he was removed from the room to a holding cell,” prosecutors said.

The victim was taken by helicopter to a Chicago hospital for treatment. The victim is “nonverbal as a result of the attack” and suffered traumatic brain injury, prosecutors said.

The victim needs a feeding tube to assist with feeding and he is not able to swallow, prosecutors said.

When asked if Burbridge’s alleged accomplice has also been charged over the incident, Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Byrne said their office “will not be providing a comment at this time.”