2 Elmhurst homes targeted by would-be burglar; 1 resident found suspect in foyer with gun
ELMHURST, Ill. (WLS) -- The hunt is on for an armed man who tried to burglarize two homes in about 40 minutes near North and West avenues in west suburban Elmhurst Tuesday evening.
The first incident occurred just after 6:30 p.m. at a home in the 300-block of River Glen. A young family was sitting around the dinner table when they heard a strange noise coming from the living room.
"All the kids were here with us," said Janele Panganiban, a mother of four. "Frank and I heard a noise and didn't know what it was and Frank said, 'Hello? Hello?'"
Soon after that, Panganiban noticed a partially-opened sliding window toward the front of the house and footsteps in the snow leading to and from the window. She said she ran to the front door, saw her motion-detector light on and opened the door just in time to see a black SUV with a loud muffler driving away, with its lights turned off.
Nothing was taken, but Panganiban and her husband took steps to further secure their home.
"My husband installed a camera at 1 in the morning last night. I mean, what else can you do?" Panganiban said.
Around 7:10 p.m. in the 500-block of Third Street, a homeowner came face-to-face with the would-be thief holding a handgun in his foyer. He was able to call police, but by the time officers arrived, the intruder was gone.
The homeowner was not hurt. Police said the suspect entered the home through an open patio door at the back of the house. Again, nothing was taken.
The residents told police the suspect was a black man with a thin build, about 5 ft. 9 in. tall. He was wearing a dark-colored, hooded sweatshirt.
Investigators asked anyone with video footage of the area or with information that could lead to an arrest to call Elmhurst police at 630-530-3050.
