Oswego police investigate violent home invasion

OSWEGO, Ill. (WLS) -- Oswego police are searching for a gang of masked thieves that broke into a home Tuesday morning and made off with cell phones and an SUV.

Police say that they have a good description of the stolen car that the suspects left the area in. All four suspects were wearing full or partial masks, and all were armed with handguns when they entered the home Tuesday morning.

Despite help from Chicago and State Police, however, authorities have yet to track down either the car or the suspects.

Several of the young men inside the house at the time of the robbery were bloody after apparently being beaten during the home invasion. They declined to be transported to the hospital and police say they also refused to share much information about what happened.

Nevertheless, police say four armed men entered the home before 6 Tuesday morning and left with stolen cell phones and a white Audi Q7. As investigators combed the house for evidence they discovered something the suspects may have left behind, a loaded handgun.

"No one is claiming ownership of that weapon right now, so we're going to try and see if we can look through records and try to track down the owner of that gun," said Oswego Police Chief Dwight Baird.

Neighbors say the family moved here about a month ago from Chicago. A 40-year-old mother, her sons and their friends, a total of five young men between the ages of 17 and 21, were in the home when the suspects entered. One of the young men came to Jim Melton's door Tuesday morning, bleeding and asking for help.

"Just recently moved in, good people and so you feel bad that people like this have things like this happen to them," he said.

Police say they believe the victims may have been targeted, that this was an isolated incident, and that no one else in the Oswego area is in danger.

Investigators believe the suspects were headed to Chicago in the stolen Audi and police say they are working to solve this case regardless of the apparent lack of cooperation from the victims.

"They are very dangerous people, using the guns this way and we want to make sure that we hold them accountable for their actions," Chief Baird said. "We are under a public safety obligation due to the fact that they are armed with guns. We want to make sure that we try and track down these individuals."

The car police are looking for is a white 2010 Audi Q7, the license plate reads V701752. Police believe that car was headed for Chicago. The suspects are believed to be armed and dangerous.