Deputies arrested a man who allegedly forced entry and burglarized a house near Cary before crashing an ATV into a squad car while fleeing, authorities said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 9:20 p.m. on November 27 to the 200 block of Wallace Drive in unincorporated Cary for a report of a residential burglary.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Communication Specialist Emily Baker said Monday that the burglary was witnessed by the victim via a Ring Doorbell camera.
Deputies arrived to find evidence of forced entry on the front door of the residence, as well as damage inside.
Deputies, along with Cary police officers, searched the victim’s home but did not locate the suspect, Baker said.
A canine unit from the Crystal Lake Police Department was requested to help track the suspect.
Items believed to be taken from the victim’s home were recovered during the track.
While deputies and the canine continued searching, a person on an ATV started driving towards them, Baker said.
Baker said the person attempted to make a U-turn on the ATV and struck a deputy’s squad car before speeding off.
The squad car had minimal damage. The canine continued to track the suspect, leading officers to the backdoor of a home on Rustic Court.
Baker said deputies made contact with a man, identified as Ashton Shrewsberry, 31, of Cary.
They recognized Shrewsberry as the driver of the ATV, as well as the suspect in the burglary from the Ring video.
Baker said all items taken from the victim’s residence were returned.
Shrewsberry was charged with residential burglary, criminal damage to property, obstructing a peace officer, criminal trespass to residence, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing to elude a peace officer, failure to provide information after striking a vehicle and reckless operation of an ATV.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office initially filed a petition to detain Shrewsberry pending trial but then withdrew the petition.
McHenry County Judge Kevin Costello released Shrewsberry and ordered him to be placed on GPS monitoring, not leave the state without court permission, not possess weapons and not communicate with the victim.
In May 2021, Shrewsberry was arrested in Austin, Texas, and charged with felon in possession of an incendiary device, according to a local news report at the time.
Shrewsberry is set to appear in McHenry County court again on January 7.