Authorities are searching for two suspects who allegedly beat an 86-year-old home-owner, ransacked his house and took cash in unincorporated Wheaton Tuesday morning.
Police said around 6:45 a.m. in the 26 west 400 block of Prairie Avenue, the suspects knocked on the door, “at which time he answered the door and these two male suspects entered his home and attacked him,” said DuPage Sgt. Robert Harris.
The victim called 911 at around 7:15 a.m. to report the incident and was taken to an area hospital in stable condition, Harris said.
The suspects were seen fleeing the area on foot, with witnesses saying they saw the offenders running through yards before entering a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with tinted windows and black rims, officials said. A third person may have been driving the vehicle, according to police.
“It’s fairly unusual for someone to be attacked in their home unprovoked and be elderly like this… it doesn’t happen on a regular basis,” said Harris.
The suspects were described as being between 16 and 20 years old, standing between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall with small to medium builds, according to police.
Authorities said one suspect was wearing a dark-colored coat and the other was wearing a light-colored coat.
Local
The sheriff's office asked that anyone who witnessed anyone matching the description of the suspects or vehicle, or may recognize them based on the description, call (630) 407-2400.
Area residents who have an electronic surveillance system were also asked to review footage from between 6:15 a.m. and 8 a.m. and report anything that may assist investigators in identifying the suspects.
An unknown amount of cash was taken from the home, according to the sheriff's office.
Further details on the home invasion and the offenders were not immediately available. No one is in custody in connection with the incident and the investigation remained ongoing.
