Two men charged with kidnapping an 8-year-old caught in Illinois

SHELLBURN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Sullivan County Sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday were able to apprehend suspects linked to the kidnapping of an 8-year-old child.

According to Aurora Police , first responders were sent to a home invasion call around 10:14 p.m. on Monday. During the initial investigation in the 2000 block of Cheshire Drive officers were able to determine two males had forced their way in, injured homeowners, and left with an 8 year old child. One of the victims was transported to the hospital.

Officers also learned that a woman was in the area and was the one to drive away with the two male suspects. Police said this turned out to be the child’s father, uncle and grandmother as the perpetrators. At 10:50 p.m. a vehicle was stopped by authorities in northern Aurora, believed to be related to the incident. The driver of the vehicle was Lisa C. Bearden, 58, the grandmother of the victim. She was alone but officers located several firearms in the car along with accessories and ammunition. She was charged with 3 counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a vehicle with no FOID.

On Tuesday, two members of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle in Shelburn after being notified about the kidnapping by Aurora’s Police Department. Officers used the Automated License Plate Readers to quickly locate the vehicle and take Joshua, 30, and Christopher, 35, Bearden into custody. The juvenile was found safe and the two men were charged with kidnapping, home invasion, and aggravated assault.

“Your home should be a place where you feel safe and secure, especially for an 8-year-old child,” said Chief Keith Cross of the Aurora Illinois Police Department. “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.”

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