Joliet man accused of invading home, sexually assaulting girl

A Joliet man was apprehended in a chicken coop after he was accused of invading a home on Richards Street to sexually assault a teen whom he had abused in the past, police said.

About 7:40 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to a residence on Richards Street for a report of a man later identified as Isaias Vargas, 23, trying to assault a 16-year-old girl, according to a statement from the Joliet Police Department.

The girl told a police dispatcher that Vargas “hurt her and tried to do things sexual in nature,” and he fled from the residence out a back window, police said.

Officers then saw Vargas coming from the residence and fleeing from them, police said.

Officers gave chase but ultimately lost sight of Vargas, police said. They tried to track him down with the use of an aerial drone device and a police dog from the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers also noticed a chicken coop at one of the residences on Richards Street, police said. The sheriff’s police dog tracked through a wooded area and right back to the property line of Vargas’ residence.

Vargas was found hiding on the second story of the chicken coop, police said.

In an interview with detectives, Vargas allegedly admitted to climbing in the window of the 16-year-old girl’s residence and looking for her, police said. Vargas also allegedly admitted to “sexually assaulting the victim when she was younger,” police said.

Vargas was taken to the Will County jail about 8:40 p.m. Thursday on probable cause of aggravated criminal sexual assault, home invasion, unlawful restraint, battery and obstructing a police officer.