One of two men who committed a theft at Walmart and fled from police in a stolen car in Huntley has been sentenced to five years in prison.
The Huntley Police Department responded on February 27, 2021, to a retail theft call at the Walmart, 12300 Route 47 in Huntley.
Police said at the time that the caller advised police the suspects were fleeing the parking lot in a vehicle.
A responding officer located a vehicle matching the description and attempted to stop the vehicle in the area of Mill Street and Grove Street.
The occupants fled on foot from the vehicle, which was reported stolen out of Elgin.
The occupants were later identified as Luis M. Arreola, 36, of Elgin, and Damian A. Franco, 32, of Elgin.
Prosecutors said that a search ensued for the suspects and Franco was located in a nearby garage trying to hotwire another car.
Multiple police departments responded to assist in the search for Arreola. A canine unit also responded.
A resident reported seeing a person take a bicycle from a residence on Timer Drive a short time later.
The person closely resembled the description of the second suspect being sought, police said.
Another resident nearby reported a person wearing a tank top, which was out of the normal for the weather, on Sawgrass Drive.
Officers located Arreola and took him into custody. Officers were also able to recover all of the items stolen from Walmart.
Arreola was charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding, driving without a valid driver’s license and disobeying a stop sign.
Franco, who was the passenger in the stolen vehicle, was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, possession of methamphetamine, aggravated fleeing and eluding and obstructing justice.
In July, Arreola pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, a Class 4 felony, and was sentenced to one year in prison.
On Tuesday, Franco pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, a Class 2 felony, in exchange for prosecutors dismissing his other charges.
McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge accepted the plea deal and sentenced Franco to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.