Chicago man charged with armed forced entry into Wheaton residence: prosecutors

A motion to detain pretrial a man charged with breaking into a Wheaton residence and threatening the residents was granted Oct. 4, prosecutors said.

Lee Owens, 42, of Chicago was charged with home invasion with a firearm, armed violence, residential burglary and intimidation, authorities said.

About 1:55 a.m. Oct. 3, Wheaton police were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of Verdi Court for a report of an alleged home invasion in progress, authorities said.

The occupant called 911 to report an individual known to the residents allegedly forced entry to the residence, pointed a firearm at them and threatened physical harm, authorities said.

The alleged offender fled before the officers’ arrival but was found a short time later and arrested. A firearm matching the alleged description provided by the victim was recovered during the investigation, authorities said.

Owens’ next scheduled court date is Oct. 28.

“Our homes are our sanctuaries and we all deserve to feel safe and secure at home,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. “The allegation that Mr. Owens broke down the door to the victim’s residence and threatened the victims while armed with a gun will be met with the full force of the law.”

“This is another example of great intra-agency teamwork,” Wheaton Police Chief Princeton Youker said in the release. “Leveraging technology, our officers were able to communicate with partnering law enforcement agencies to quickly locate and apprehend Mr. Owens. Our officers and investigators diligently worked through the night to recover a firearm allegedly used in this violent criminal act.”