Lisle woman says police saved her life by shooting invader
Monica Liszka says the events that unfolded in her Lisle yard in the early morning hours of Oct. 10, when a police officer shot and killed a man attempting to break into her home, have changed her life forever.
"I'm definitely more cautious and more aware of my surroundings than I have ever been before," she said Friday morning, speaking publicly for the first time since DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin ruled on Tuesday that the officer's use of deadly force was justified.
"I did not know who (the intruder) was or why he was there," Liszka said, "but that morning I was pretty sure he was there to kill me."
Liszka, 59, said she was sleeping on her couch in her living room about 5:13 a.m. when she woke to what turned out to be the sound of 35-year-old Anthony Aguilar kicking her front door on the 400 block of Yender Avenue.
"My front door is very close to the couch, so I was startled at first, but I became terrified when I realized what was happening," she said. "He went from the front door to the back door. Then he came back to the front door again before he went to the back again and began literally kicking the door off its hinges."
Liszka called 911 and, following the operator's instructions, locked herself in her bathroom. She said she feared for her life every second she was in there.
During the call Liszka can be heard telling the dispatcher, "Could you please get someone here? … My God in heaven, he is here. … I am just very scared. … I am sorry but I have never been this scared before."
"The operator was telling me police were outside and I could hear them yelling, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. It was terrifying," she said. "Eventually, I was told to open my front door and a Lisle police officer would be there to meet me. I've never been so happy to see someone. The Lisle police saved my life that morning."
Liszka said she never heard the two gunshots fired by police officer Benjamin Bowman, one of which struck Aguilar in his right, lower chest. The other shot struck a neighboring house.
She said she had never met or seen Aguilar and has no idea why he targeted her home that morning.
"When police walked me out of my home to safety, it was still pretty dark, but I saw (Aguilar) laying by the back door and I assumed (he had been killed)," she said.
She was not surprised Tuesday morning when police Chief David Anderson called and told her of Berlin's ruling that the shooting was justified.
"I could have told you that morning that it was justified," she said. "The way (Aguilar) was forcing himself into my house, I know he would have killed me if he got in."
Berlin said the his decision came "after a thorough and extensive" two-week review of the state police probe into the shooting.
Lisle police Tuesday released an audio recording of the 911 call that brought three officers to the scene and six dashcam videos, two from each of the three responding squad cars. The videos do not show the confrontation because the cars were parked too far away, but two gunshots can be heard on at least one of the videos as well as the officers' repeated commands to "Put your hands up!" and "Show me your hands!"
Bowman, the officer who fired the fatal shot, is a three-year member of the Lisle department and an Army veteran.
Berlin said the shot struck Aguilar in the right lower chest about 5:20 a.m. after Bowman and two other officers had responded to the report of a burglary in progress.
Upon their arrival, the officers found Aguilar trying to force his way into the residence. Aguilar was standing with his back to the officers, banging on the door and holding objects in both his hands, authorities said.
Berlin said Aguilar ignored all commands and at one point threw a claw hammer with his left hand at one of the officers. He still was holding an object, later determined to be a shiny metallic scraper with a black handle, in his right hand with his back to the officers.
At that time, officer Jeremiah Arnold armed himself with a stun gun. The other two officers already had drawn their guns.
Aguilar then quickly turned around and took a shooting stance, raising his right arm and pointing his right hand at Arnold, authorities said. The officer, believing Aguilar was pointing a gun at him and that he was going to be shot, fired his stun gun at Aguilar but missed, authorities said.
Officer Brian Brendal, who saw the probes miss Aguilar and also believed Aguilar to be armed, saw Aguilar point what he believed to be a gun at him, authorities said. Aguilar then turned back to Arnold and pointed his right arm toward him.
At that point, Bowman fired his weapon twice at Aguilar, striking him once.
The officers then called radio dispatch and requested medics to treat Aguilar. Aguilar fought with officers as he was secured in handcuffs. The officers administered first aid to Aguilar until medical help arrived. Aguilar was taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove where he was pronounced dead at 6:17 a.m.