Aurora man charged with attempted child abduction

An Aurora man is facing more than a dozen charges, including attempted child abduction, stemming from a weekend incident.

Police say Stephen P. Sweigart, 61, of the 900 block of Lenwood Court, approached an 8-year-old boy about 8:50 p.m. Saturday inside a Jewel-Osco on the 1900 block of West Galena Boulevard and asked the youth to come home with him. The boy refused and Sweigart left the store.

The boy's mother, who was in the checkout lane at the time, saw Sweigart talking with her son and alerted store employees who called police.

An Aurora man who learned of the incident followed Sweigart's minivan and also called 911. A police officer found Sweigart parked in his own driveway and smelled cannabis coming from the vehicle.

Upon searching the van, police said the officer found two handguns, one of which was loaded, along with several boxes of ammunition, numerous "throwing stars" used in martial arts and drug paraphernalia. Officers also found adult-oriented toys, lingerie and children's toys, authorities said.

Police searched Sweigart's home and said they found 74 grams of cannabis along with additional drug paraphernalia.

Sweigart was charged with attempted child abduction, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, 10 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of cannabis and two counts of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and cannabis charges are felonies.

Sweigart's bond has been set at $50,000. He will be transferred today to the Kane County Correctional Center in St. Charles and is due in court Jan. 8 at the Kane County Judicial Center.