Man guilty of shooting way into Itasca home

An Itasca man accused of using an AR-15 rifle to shoot his way into an Itasca home in 2024 was found guilty Thursday of home invasion.

Sean Brutto, of the 300 block of Prairie Circle, also was found guilty of aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to DuPage County court records.

He was convicted by Judge Mia McPherson after a bench trial.

According to prosecutors, police responded around 9:15 a.m. Jan. 19, 2024, to the 800 block of Willow Court in Itasca after residents reported a man with a gun was trying to enter homes and that shots had been fired.

Authorities said Brutto fired two shots in the neighborhood, then fired through a rear sliding-glass door of a house. Nobody was injured, but a bullet lodged in a refrigerator.

The owner of the home came out of his bedroom to find Brutto in the second-floor hallway, armed with the rifle, prosecutors said. Officials said the homeowner was able to disarm Brutto and throw the rifle downstairs.

Brutto got the gun, took the homeowner’s cellphone and left, according to prosecutors.

Police found him in a front yard in the 700 block of Willow Court, armed with the rifle. He told police someone was chasing him, prosecutors said.

An AR-15 magazine loaded with 29 rounds and a box of ammunition with 19 rounds was found in Brutto’s coat, police said.

Brutto has been detained in the DuPage County jail since his arrest.

His next court date is Dec. 16. He faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced.

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com