Man gets 26 years for 2014 Aurora home invasion, beating

A west suburban man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for breaking into a home, beating a resident and stealing money last year.

Kane County Associate Judge Clint Hull handed down the sentence Thursday for 40-year-old Earnest T. Jeffries of Aurora, according to a statement from the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

Jeffries, of the 600 block of Liberty Street, was convicted in October of home invasion, armed robbery, unlawful restraint and aggravated fleeing and eluding, the state’s attorney’s office said.

About 3:30 a.m. Aug. 28, 2014, Jeffries and 41-year-old Steve Simmons, both masked, forced their way into a home in the 800 block of Richard Street in Aurora, prosecutors said.

A couple inside, who had been asleep, woke up when the back door was kicked in, and Jeffries and Simmons began beating the man, then tied him up, held him at gunpoint and demanded cash, prosecutors said.

They ransacked the apartment and found $2,800 in cash, prosecutors said. The man freed himself and started fighting Jeffries and Simmons as the woman called police.

Jeffries and Simmons drove off in a white Cadillac and police chased them, prosecutors said. Simmons jumped from the car and ran, and the car crashed a few blocks later.

Jeffries was found and arrested a short time later during a search of the neighborhood; Simmons was identified 10 months later through DNA evidence and taken into custody.

Jeffries is eligible for day-to-day sentencing and will receive credit for at least 450 days served in the Kane County jail, prosecutors said.

He has prior convictions for robbery, possession of a weapon by a felon, drug possession, attempted sexual assault, violation of the sex offender registry, escape and burglary, according to the state’s attorney’s office. He has served six different terms in prison.

Simmons pleaded guilty to home invasion in October and was sentenced to 10 years.