Police: North Aurora man shot gun in his garage, damaged neighbor's home

A North Aurora man has been charged with a felony after police said he damaged a neighbor's home while shooting at a makeshift target in his own garage last weekend.

Michael J. Buttitta, 50, of the 2800 block of Berman Road, faces one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, according to police and Kane County court records.

According to authorities, a neighbor of Buttitta's on Berman Road in the Tanner Trails subdivision called police late Sunday morning to report a case of criminal damage to property.

The neighbor told police he arrived home about 5:30 p.m. Saturday and saw Buttitta standing in the neighbor's yard looking at the neighbor's garage.

Buttitta walked back to his yard as the neighbor arrived, causing the neighbor to become suspicious. The man later looked at his house in the same area and found a hole in his siding, as well as a matching hole in the wall of Buttitta's garage, police said.

Officers saw the hole in Buttitta's garage had been patched and, after an investigation, determined Buttitta shot a gun several times at a "makeshift" target in his garage that was facing the victim's home.

At least one round penetrated through the wall and siding of Buttitta's home and into the neighbor's house, police said.

Buttitta turned himself in to police Monday and was released from the county jail after posting $7,500 bond, according to court records and authorities. He was ordered to surrender his firearms and to have no contact with his neighbor, records show.

Buttitta is next due in court Aug. 29. If convicted he faces a punishment ranging from probation to up to three years in prison.