Man accused of abducting son pleads guilty to aggravated battery

A man accused of abducting his son after pushing his way into an Aurora home where the boy and his mother lived has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Joshua Bearden, 31, pleaded guilty Feb. 25 to one count of aggravated battery to a person 60 or older, according to DuPage County court records. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

Charges of home invasion and child abduction by a parent without custody were dropped.

Authorities say that brothers Joshua and Christopher Bearden, who live in California, and their mother, Lisa Bearden of Alabama, went to a house in Aurora around 10:15 p.m. July 29, 2024.

The boy, then 8, was staying there with his mother, maternal grandmother, a half-sister and the grandmother’s 70-year-old boyfriend.

Joshua and Christopher attacked the child’s mother and grandmother, pushing their way into the house, according to prosecutors.

The grandmother’s boyfriend was pulled down some stairs, hit and kicked, according to prosecutors. The man suffered broken facial bones, broken ribs, and a knee injury, according to a letter he submitted to the court.

Christopher Bearden then carried the child out, as the boy kicked and screamed, to a waiting vehicle driven by Lisa Bearden, authorities say.

Lisa Bearden drove to a hotel in Aurora, and her sons then drove off with the boy, according to prosecutors.

Police stopped them several hours later in southwestern Indiana and recovered the child.

Lisa Bearden pleaded guilty in January to felony child abduction — parent without custody.

Joshua Bearden must serve at least 50% of the sentence before being eligible for parole. He received credit for the 19 months he has spent in jail since his arrest, plus 2 months for taking courses while in jail.

Christopher Bearden is due to appear in court March 30.