Hoffman Estates man pleads guilty to 2016 home invasion
One of three men who authorities say knocked on the door of an elderly Rolling Meadows woman's home claiming to be church representatives and then forced their way inside pleaded guilty to home invasion.
Robert Cutler, 32, of Hoffman Estates was sentenced to 12 years in prison in exchange for his guilty plea, court records show. Cutler received credit for 558 days in custody.
Police say Vladimir Georges, 23, of Palatine, Justin Cortes, 22, of Chicago, and Cutler knocked on the woman's door on June 28, 2016, claiming they were from a local church and requesting donations.
Police say they grabbed the woman and forced her back into the house, knocking her down in the process. They fled after taking items from the house, police said.
An officer responding to the 911 call saw a vehicle whose occupants matched the suspects' description and attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver fled south on Route 53, exited onto West Higgins Road in Schaumburg and crashed into a tree.
The occupants fled but were arrested by officers from Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg and Streamwood, authorities said.
Georges and Cortes next appear in court on Jan. 9. A fourth defendant, Sarah Wendy, 25, of Glenview, is charged with fleeing and eluding. She also appears in court on Jan. 9.