Child Abducted In Aurora Home Invasion Found Safe In Indiana: PD

AURORA, IL — An 8-year-old child who was abducted by relatives during an Aurora home invasion Monday was safely found in Indiana, officials said. Multiple guns and ammunition were also found in a vehicle connected to the abduction, police said.

Aurora police and firefighters were dispatched around 10:14 p.m. to the 2000 block of Cheshire Drive for a report of a home invasion. Officers learned that two men — later determined to be the child's father and uncle — forced their way into a residence, injured the homeowners and took the child.

Police also learned that a woman was waiting in the area to drive the men away from the scene, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department.

Aurora officers found a car believed to be related to the incident around 10:50 p.m. in North Aurora. Police conducted a traffic stop near South Lincolnway Street and Lovedale Lane and identified the driver as the child's grandmother, Lisa C. Bearden, of Birmingham, Alabama. The 58-year-old woman was in the car alone with several firearms, including a rifle, shotgun, handgun, and firearm accessories and ammunition, officials said.

The Kane County State's Attorney's Office authorized three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a vehicle with no Firearm Owner's Identification card.

Another car related to the incident, believed to be occupied by two men and the child, was broadcast on the State of Illinois Emergency Notification Plan and the Aurora Police Department's local alerts. The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office eventually located the car in Sullivan County, Indiana. Police said the child was unharmed and reunited with their family in Illinois.

The two men were identified as Joshua T. Bearden, 30, of the 10000 block of Carlos Way in Rancho Cordova, California, and Christopher A. Bearden, 35, whose address is unknown at the time, police said. Both were taken into custody around 3:19 a.m. Tuesday by Sullivan County sheriff's deputies.

After the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office was contacted, both men were charged with two counts of home invasion. As of Tuesday evening, they were being held at the Sullivan County jail pending extradition back to Illinois.

"Your home should be a place where you feel safe and secure, especially for an 8-year-old child," Chief Keith Cross said in a statement. "Regardless of your relationship with a child, it does not give you a right to force your way into somebody else’s home and cause harm to others. The Aurora Police Department dedicated a significant number of resources to make sure this child returned home safely, and I’m glad we were able to do just that."

The home invasion remains under investigation by Aurora police. Officials are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact detectives at 630-256-5500 or email tips@aurora.il.us.