Addison Man Charged With Home Invasion In Des Plaines

DES PLAINES, IL — An Addison man was arrested this week and charged with home invasion and other offenses after forcing his way into the home of a former romantic partner earlier this month in Des Plaines, according to police and prosecutors.

Shortly before noon on March 10, Edgar Pedraza-Perez used his ex-girlfriend's debit card to pay for a ride-hailing service to take him to the Des Plaines home she shared with her father, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Pedraza-Perez had been sending threatening messages and making repeated phone calls after the former partner had had broken up with him earlier that day, according to Assistant State's Attorney Jenna Reinhardt.

Pedraza-Perez showed up shortly after his ex's father had left and began banging on the back door, Reinhardt said. When she refused, he kicked down the back door, knocking it into her head as it swung open, according to the prosecutor.

"She stumbled backwards and [Pedraza-Perez] entered the residence," Reinhardt said. "He ran over to where she had stumbled and struck her with an open hand."

The resident broke free of Pedraza-Perez and ran down her back staircase to hide in a storage closet, the prosecutor said at Pedraza-Perez's first court appearance Wednesday in Skokie.

"She could hear [Pedraza-Perez] in her apartment and it sounded as if multiple items were breaking," Reinhardt said. "While hiding in the closet, the victim contacted her aunt and requested that she call the police."

In addition to the door, Pedraza-Perez is accused of damaging two televisions and two iPhones.

Police said officers searched the home but later learned that Pedraza-Perez had fled before they arrived. The incident was then assigned to the detective bureau for further investigation, according to Des Plaines police.

Pedraza-Perez, 25, of the 800 block of College Boulevard, was taken into custody by detectives at his home Tuesday, police said.

He was charged with home invasion, a non-probationable class X felony carrying a minimum sentence of 6 years in state prison, and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and criminal damage of under $500.

While running his information, police said they found he had two outstanding arrest warrants, one with the Addison Police Department and one with the DuPage County Sheriff's Department.

One of Pedraza-Perez's pending court cases is a three-count domestic battery case in DuPage County court with the same complaining witness as the home invasion, prosecutors said. Reinhardt said Cook County prosecutors planned to notify their DuPage County counterparts about the new charges. And, according to pretrial services for Cook County Circuit Court, Pedraza-Perez is "flagged" for new violent criminal activity.

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Pedraza-Perez said he had called about the DuPage County warrants and had been planning on turning himself in and resolving the charges, according to Assistant Public Defender Greg Kobus, who noted Pedraza-Perez could only afford to post about $300 as bond.

Cook County Associate Judge Anthony Calabrese said he was concerned about the violent nature of the allegations, while acknowledging Pedraza-Perez could not afford to put up much cash to secure his pretrial release.

"While I factor that in, it does not change the result here, as to my concern about the safety of the complaining witness," Calabrese said. "And the apparent willingness of [Perdraza-Perez] to engage not only in violent crime against an individual like her, but also in violation of a court order, I'm sure, regarding the bond on the domestic violence case."

Pedraza-Perez is due back in court April 20 to be indicted.