St. Charles man sentenced to 8 years for home invasion

A St. Charles man was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for a home invasion in which three people were beaten.

James C. Szczesny, 25, of the 1200 block of South 10th Street, was sentenced by Kane County Associate Judge Leonard J. Wojtecki. A jury convicted him in August of felony home invasion.

Prosecutors said Szczesny and co-defendant Sean P. Zeleny, 25, of Geneva, invaded a home on the 200 block of North 15th Street in St. Charles on Aug. 25, 2005. After three residents were beaten about their bodies and faces, the men fled in a car driven by Lauren Hruby, 24, of Warrenville, according to the state's attorney's office. The residents then contacted police.

During Zeleny's trial, prosecutors said the attack about 1:30 a.m. was revenge for a friend's heroin overdose.

Zeleny, who currently is serving eight years in prison, was convicted in September 2007 of three counts of home invasion. Three counts of home invasion are pending against Hruby.