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Man shot in his North Aurora home pleads guilty to reduced drug charges

A man shot by two robbers who had broken into his North Aurora apartment pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges lodged after paramedics responding to the 2012 call saw drugs, cellphones, a scale, and other paraphernalia in plain sight.

Stephen Kolar, 24, now of Aurora, can be resentenced to up to a year in jail if he violates his 18-month probation after his guilty plea last week.

Kolar also must serve five weekends at the Kane County jail during his probation, his attorney Liam Dixon said.

Kolar and another man, Baldemar Aguilar, 26, were shot Oct. 2, 2012, after two men forced their way into a second-floor apartment on the 100 block of South River Road (Route 25).

Both men recovered from the wounds - Kolar was hit in the arm - but authorities later executed a search warrant after responding paramedics found drugs and drug paraphernalia in plain view.

Authorities seized 10 cellphones, two bongs, a shotgun, two rifles, 13 glass pipes, more than 100 rounds of ammunition, 5.5 ounces of marijuana, and foil packets containing drug residue.

Kolar, who initially faced felony charges, could have received up to five years in prison if convicted of the most severe drug charges. But the felony was reduced to misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Dixon said he believes the assailants were actually targeting a rifle - legally owned by Kolar - that had been modified so it had automatic fire.

Dixon said the disposition of the case was appropriate and that Kolar is not a danger to the community.

"It was not a large amount (of marijuana). He had a clean record, too," Dixon said. "If anybody needed a wake-up call to stay out of trouble, this is it. Obviously, he is scared of how this happened."

Aguilar pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance in spring 2014 and was sentenced to 18 months' probation and 160 days in jail.

A third person at the apartment at the time, Deanna Hernandez, 23, of Aurora, was accepted into the county's Pretrial Diversion Program in December 2013, records show.

The shooters have not been caught. Anyone with information about the shooting may call North Aurora police at (630) 897-8705.

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