Aurora man swims into long arm of the law

A 17-year-old Aurora man faces several criminal counts after leading police officers on a modified biathlon.

Francisco L. Andino, of the 1400 block of Superior Street, has been charged with three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of cannabis and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with an incident that began about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Farnsworth Park, Farnsworth Avenue and New York Street.

Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said special operations officers smelled burning cannabis coming from the area where Andino and two other males apparently were standing.

"Farnsworth Park has been a site for previous criminal activity, so we patrol it pretty heavily," Ferrelli said Thursday.

When the officers got out of their car to investigate, Andino took off on his bicycle, police said. Fleeing down a half-mile stretch of bike path with the officers chasing him on foot, Andino ended up at Oakhurst Forest Preserve in the 1800 block of 5th Avenue.

Ferrelli said Andino attempted to escape the officers by jumping into a lake but officers caught him.

"They didn't waste much time deciding to go in after him," Ferrelli said.

During the chase, officers noticed Andino clutching the waistband of his pants, so they called out the Aurora Fire Department's dive team to search the lake for a possible gun. Firefighters retrieved a loaded .45 caliber handgun, officials said.

Andino also had a small amount of cannabis and a pipe in his possession when officers brought him out of the lake, authorities said.