Arlington Heights man gets 4 years on gun charge

An Arlington Heights man who, toting a shotgun, led Cook County sheriff's police on a foot chase through a marsh last spring, pleaded guilty Thursday to unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Cook County Judge Kay Hanlon sentenced Victor Lujano, 28, to four years in prison. Lujano's plea resulted from an agreement between the prosecution and defense.

According to a prepared statement from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, sheriff's police were surveilling suspected gang members in the area of Route 53 and Lake Cook Road on March 10 when they noticed three men carrying weapons leave an apartment and enter an SUV.

As they drove away, officers attempted to stop the car, but the driver ignored them. According to the release, the vehicle stopped after a brief chase at Lake Cook and Hicks roads, and the men fled on foot into the woods.

Police had observed Lujano, of the 300 block of Salem Road, carrying a shotgun. He was later found submerged in a marsh, unable to move.

Lujano's background includes a 2002 conviction for home invasion for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.