A 20-year-old St. Charles man accused of pulling a gun on Aurora police during a chase last year will head to trial Monday.
Erik Esparza has been held in Kane County Jail on $200,000 bond since his arrest in July on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, illegal possession of a firearm and resisting a peace officer. Esparza pleaded not guilty to the charges last year and is scheduled to begin his trial Monday before Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler.
Esparza and a second man, Rene Muro, 23, of Aurora, were confronted by officers with the Aurora police’s special operations group after the pair got out of a vehicle near Pearl Street and Parker Avenue on July 11 and began to walk between houses in the neighborhood, according to authorities.
The two men turned and raised guns toward officers as they approached, which prompted one officer to fire his gun in the direction of Esparza and Muro, although neither was hit by gunfire. The pair ignored police orders to stop as they fled on foot before eventually being captured, officials previously said.
Police said they recovered two handguns during an investigation. Both men are documented gang members with previous criminal histories, court documents show.
Muro remains in Kane County Jail on $500,000 bond with his next court appearance scheduled for Feb. 11.
Dan Campana is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News.