13 years prison for 2017 botched Aurora weapons burglary, 5-hour police standoff
A 25-year-old man was sentenced to 13 years in prison this week for causing a five-hour police standoff with Aurora police after a botched home burglary in June 2017.
Lucas R. Perez, of the 400 block of South Broadway Street, Aurora, and his brother, Sergio B. Perez, 26, of the 300 block of Prairie Avenue, Aurora, were charged with armed violence, residential burglary, unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault and other felonies for their roles in a June 17, 2017, burglary targeting a stash of guns at a home on the 300 block of South Western Avenue.
Lucas Perez pleaded guilty Wednesday to residential burglary and aggravated assault of a police officer in exchange for prosecutors dismissing other, more severe charges. Judge John Barsanti accepted the plea agreement, according to Kane County court records.
At the time of his arrest, Lucas Perez was on probation after pleading guilty to unlawful street gang member contact, a misdemeanor, in September 2016.
Lucas Perez also was sentenced to three years in prison for a July 2011 residential burglary.
In the June 2017 standoff, authorities received a call of two men acting suspiciously after exiting a Honda Accord. Police questioned two women in the car, and their stories didn't match. During this time, police said, an officer noticed a rear door of a nearby home had been kicked in and heard two men inside the home throwing items around. Police surrounded the home and during the standoff, the homeowner told police a large cache of unsecured guns were in the home.
Over the next five hours, the men yelled obscenities and threats at police, broke windows, and pointed guns outside several times. At one point, one of the men pointed a shotgun at Special Response Team officers, prompting one of the officers to open fire, but missing.
Police eventually shot gas canisters into the home and the men came out, but fought with officers while being handcuffed.
Sergio Perez is being held at the Kane County jail on $2 million bail and is next due in court on Sept. 28.
The driver of the car, Claudia Sanchez-Gomez, 23, of the 300 block of Elmwood Road, Romeoville, was charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice. She is free on bond and next due in court on Aug. 27. The other woman who was questioned was released.
Under state law, Lucas Perez can have his sentence cut in half for good behavior in prison. He also gets credit for nearly 14 months being held at the Kane County jail while the case was pending.