Police: Aurora man arrested after brief chase, firing shot on city's east side

A man faces felony charges after Aurora police say he fired a shot on the city's east side and led police on a brief chase.

Eduardo R. Flores, 26, of the 400 block of Robinhood Drive, Aurora, is charged with armed violence, reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated fleeing and eluding and several traffic offenses stemming from the chase in the early morning hours of June 18, according to Aurora police and Kane County court records.

Aurora Police spokesman Paris Lewbel said a patrol officer at 2:15 a.m. saw a silver Mitsubishi Lancer speeding while going south on the 900 block of North Lake Street on the city's northwest side.

The officer tried to pull over the Lancer, but it was going too fast so the officer radioed ahead. Another officer tried to make a traffic stop near downtown Aurora, but the Lancer "took off" - at one point reaching a speed of 100 mph - and the officer was forced to call off the pursuit for safety reasons, Lewbel said.

A few minutes later, the Lancer was spotted in the parking lot of a business on the 1100 block of South Lake Street in Montgomery. Police responded to the area, found Flores inside with two passengers and searched them and the car, and found a gun magazine clip on one passenger, a spent shell casing inside the Lancer, and a 9 mm handgun in a large trash container behind the business, Lewbel said.

Investigators determined Flores fired a shot from the vehicle somewhere on the city's east side the night of June 17, Lewbel said.

No one was hit or injured and the bullet did not strike any buildings or vehicles, Lewbel said, adding he could not immediately specify where the shot was fired and for what reason.

Police arrested Flores and released his two male passengers without charges, Lewbel said.

Flores was released from the Kane County jail this week after posting 10% of his $250,000 bail.

If convicted of the most severe charge of armed violence, faces a sentence ranging from six to 30 years in prison with no chance for probation.