Man gets 5 years in Lake Co. burglaries

An Alabama man was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to a pair of Lake County burglaries.

When he completes that sentence, Andrew Evans, 34, will be returned to Alabama to face charges of escaping from the prison where he was serving a 20-year sentence.

Assistant State's Attorney Steven Derue said Evans and Jason Hudgins, 29, escaped from the same prison on March 10 and stole a car.

They proceeded to launch a rolling burglary spree, Derue said, and are charged with crimes in Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin as well as Illinois.

They were caught when Lincolnshire and Highland Park police both identified their car as the getaway vehicle in burglaries in those communities just hours apart on March 14.

The vehicle was spotted in Franklin, Wis., on March 19, Derue said, and Hudgins, of Alburn, Ala., was caught when he jumped from the car after a short chase.

Evans escaped with the vehicle and was captured by police in Indianapolis, Ind. on March 29.

He was returned to Illinois in July and has been held in the Lake County jail since then.

Hudgins pleaded guilty to the same two Lake County burglaries on June 16 and was also sentenced to five years in prison.