Burglar Made Gun Threats After Being Confronted by Joliet Homeowner: Police

A resident of Joliet’s far west side was unhurt after walking in on a broad daylight burglary on Tuesday, police said.

Deputy Chief Edgar Gregory said the man left his home in the 4000 block Brenton Drive in the Grand Prairie subdivision at around 1 p.m., returning at about 1:30 p.m.

The man pulled his vehicle into the garage and upon entering his home, saw the shadow of a person on the wall.

The man called out to ask if anyone was home and walked into his kitchen, where he encountered a burglar, Gregory said.

The suspect, described as a young black male wearing a two-toned light blue and dark blue hoodie, began throwing items at the homeowner before threatening to shoot the man, Gregory said.

The suspect then reached for his waistband, but failed to produce a weapon. When the homeowner grabbed a kitchen knife, the suspect ran upstairs, police said.

The homeowner then ran to a neighbor’s house and called police, Gregory said.

By the time officers arrived, the suspect was gone.

Gregory said surveillance video showed two subjects in front of the man’s home prior to the robbery.

He declined to say what else the surveillance video showed, but said police have stepped up patrols in the area, particularly in the afternoon and early evening.

Police believe the suspect may have entered the home through a basement window, Gregory said. The only item that was confirmed stolen was a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, he said.