Man, 3 teens charged with attempted Wheaton break-in

One man and three juveniles were charged Monday with attempting to break into a house and then driving off in a stolen vehicle Sunday afternoon in west suburban Wheaton.

Gerardo Flores, 18, of the 4900 block of West Fletcher in Chicago, and three juveniles whose names have not been released were charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle and attempted residential burglary, according to the Wheaton Police Department and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Officers responded to a call of three people trying to break into a house about 6:55 p.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of East Pershing.

Before police arrived, the three got into a Dodge van waiting nearby, driven by the fourth person charged, and drove off. The van had been reported stolen by the Chicago Police Department, police said.

A witness followed the van and gave information about its whereabouts to authorities. Officers found the van near Farnham and Naperville and attempted to stop it, but the suspects kept driving. Officers used “stop sticks” to try to deflate the van’s tires, and the suspects eventually got out of the vehicle and ran away in the 800 block of North West Street, police said.

A perimeter was established, a reverse 911 call was sent out to residents, and an Elmhurst Police Department K-9 officer helped track the suspects. They were found in a shed in a nearby backyard and taken into custody, police said.

Flores was being held at the DuPage County Jail and his bail was set at $150,000, the state’s attorney’s office said. The juveniles were being held at the Kane County Youth Home.