Arlington Heights police identify man found dead after home invasion
Arlington Heights police on Sunday identified a 58-year-old Buffalo Grove man as the person shot to death during an apparent home invasion Saturday afternoon on the village's north side, and said his suspected accomplice is in their custody.
Police called to the home in the 2400 block of North Evergreen Avenue found Larry D. Brodacz dead of a gunshot wound on the second floor. His death has been ruled a homicide, police said Sunday.
The man in custody has not been publicly identified. Police said detectives are working with the Cook County state's attorney's office to bring charges against the "person of interest."
Authorities identified Brodacz on Sunday after a video began circulating online showing the frightening early moments of the home invasion. Police confirmed the authenticity of the video, taken from the home's Ring security camera.
The Daily Herald is not publishing the video because the newspaper does not have the homeowner's permission.
The video shows two men in masks and gloves, one carrying a bag, approaching the home's front door. One, wearing a stocking cap, opens the screen door and appears to knock while the other, wearing a baseball cap and glasses, looks around.
The man who knocked spots the security camera and covers the lens momentarily before returning to the door.
When the door opens, the man who knocked walks in and says, "Hey, how you doin', bro?"
Sounds from outside the residence, including a neighbor's leaf blower, obscure what is happening inside, but the sound of raised voices are audible.
The camera next picks up the image of the man with the bag being pushed out the door by a man who may be a resident of the home. Dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, the man forces the masked man to the ground and begins beating him.
The struggle continues into the driveway, as both disappear from view. The last image is of the T-shirt clad man going back to the doorway as the other man runs away, falling down in the street before video stops.
Police rushed to the home at 1:57 p.m. Saturday after receiving a 911 call reporting a man inside with a gun. All residents of the home were evacuated after police arrived, but officers were told the armed man was still inside and had likely been shot.
Officers secured the scene and, after calling in a SWAT team, went inside to discover Brodacz's body.