Channahon Burglar With Axe Hides In Bedroom Closet: Forfeiture

CHANNAHON, IL — A 22-year-old man, who authorities say broke into a Channahon house on Countryside Drive and grabbed the homeowner's axe, could lose his 2009 Mitsubishi Galant as a civil forfeiture, according to a complaint filed Tuesday by Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow.

On Nov. 19, Michael L. Johnson broke into a house in the 24100 block of South Countryside intending to commit a theft, Johnson's criminal charges state. His forfeiture complaint goes into greater detail about the events that led to his arrest by the Channahon Police Department.

According to the forfeiture, one of the homeowners notified Channahon police that he walked upstairs from his basement and found his master bedroom door locked, which was unusual.

When the man used a key to open the door, he saw a black backpack on his bed and several drawers yanked open. Moments later, two people ran out of his master bedroom closet and one held an axe hollering, "Old man, get your ass over there," the forfeiture reads.

The two house burglars ran downstairs, dropping the axe as they ran off, court records show.

The Channahon homeowner told police the axe came from his garage.

A short time later, Channahon police learned that two men just ran through a yard in the 25500 block of Chipwood Drive. One of the homeowners on Chipwood Drive told police he had just hired the same two men through Home Advisor to do yard work on his acreage.

The Chipwood Drive resident told police the pair arrived with a rake and a leaf blower but "did almost no work before leaving," the complaint states.

After interviewing the resident on Chipwood Drive, Channahon police saw a silver Mitsubishi Galant parked in the road with a key and a cellphone in the center cupholder.

The car was registered to Michael L. Johnson, the forfeiture record states.

Eventually, the Will County Sheriff's Office captured Johnson and a second person in Channahon at the intersection of Knapp and Elsie Street in connection with the burglary.

Johnson told police that he and his brother were walking to the Dunkin' Donuts, which is more than 2 miles away, the forfeiture complaint informs the judge.

"Johnson then stated that he was locked out of his car after stopping to use restroom. (Johnson's brother) then advised that he and Johnson had walked into a house and that they were holding an axe, but denied harming anyone," court records show.

Channahon police searched the perimeter of the house on Chipwood Drive and found a black backpack containing a gray sweatshirt, two gloves, two facemasks, three socks, two gold watches and a gold diamond bracelet, the civil forfeiture states.

The homeowners on Countryside Drive identified the jewelry as theirs, court records show.

Now, Glasgow's office has asked a Will County judge to declare Johnson's Mitsubishi Galant as a forfeited police asset because his car "provided transportation to the location of the burglary."

Johnson remained in the Will County Jail from Nov. 19-25. Then, his girlfriend in Channahon posted 10 percent of his $100,000 bail, court documents show.

Although the jail listed Johnson as being a resident of Morris, the more reliable forfeiture court records indicate Johnson lives in Channahon at the apartment units in the 27700 block of West Drake Drive.