A homeless man is facing a number of felony charges after a night out on his 21st birthday ended in violence, police said.
According to Aurora police reports, Erick Brown was charged with two counts of felony unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of felony possession of a weapon, and felony unlawful use of a weapon after police found a gun in Brown’s possession during an encounter with him around 2:38 a.m. Saturday at an Aurora gas station.
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Aurora Police Department spokesman Dan Ferrelli said officers were on patrol in the first block of Hill Avenue when they spotted Brown walking toward a vehicle at an Aurora gas station. Aware that there were warrants out for Brown’s arrest, police went to the gas station to see him.
As officers approached Brown, who was now in the passenger seat of a vehicle, they noticed him making suspicious movements, they said. That’s when officers spotted a loaded weapon on the floorboard of the vehicle near Brown’s seat, police said.
Officers pulled their weapons and ordered Brown, Lorena Bucio, 24, and Brown’s girlfriend out of the vehicle.
Police said Brown and his girlfriend complied, but Bucio began arguing with police and refused to comply with their commands.
When all three were taken out of the vehicle they were placed under arrest.
Bucio, 2000 block of Fox Pointe Drive, Aurora, was charged with resisting police.
Another man, Gabriel Berrios, 25, 1200 block of Sundown Drive, was charged with unlawful contact with a gang member after he was seen walking toward the vehicle and admitted to being its driver.
Brown’s girlfriend was released without charges.
Around midnight on Saturday, Brown and his girlfriend had gone to an Aurora bar to celebrate Brown’s 21st birthday. Police said Brown was denied entry to the bar, but that his girlfriend went inside to dance.
According to police reports, when the woman left the bar later that morning Brown was angry. When the two got to the gas station, Brown allegedly punched her several times in her face. She refused medical treatment.
Brown was also charged with two counts of felony domestic battery and felony battery. He was also taken into custody on an outstanding Kane County felony warrant for Illegal possession of a controlled substance and a Naperville misdemeanor warrant for domestic battery.