Cook County man receives lengthy prison term for brutal home invasions, shooting
Malik Pitts
WHEATON, Ill. - A Cook County man has been sentenced to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for breaking into homes in Wheaton and Lombard, which resulted in the shooting of a homeowner in August 2020.
Malik Pitts, 25, formerly of Broadview, entered a blind plea of guilty to one count of attempted murder, one count of home invasion and one count of attempted child pornography last July.
The case against Pitt's co-defendant, 24-year-old Isaiah Johnson of Blue Island, is due back in court on March 29 for a sentencing hearing.
According to prosecutors, at about 5:04 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2020, Wheaton police officers responded to a home invasion at 1710 E. Evergreen St.
Residents reported that they heard noises coming from outside. The homeowners then exited the back door, leaving it unlocked. Once they were outside, the residents encountered Pitts and Johnson. At that time, Johnson pointed a silver handgun at them as Pitts entered the home through the unlocked door.
Shortly after Pitts entered the residence, Johnson directed the victims to walk toward the rear of the residence with the gun.
Once inside, Pitts entered a bedroom where two young girls and their grandmother were sleeping, prosecutors said.
Pitts then attempted to pull down the blanket and shorts and underwear of one of the girls. At that time, the grandmother woke up and began talking to Pitts. He then struck her left cheek, ear and neck.
The girls' father entered the room and fought with Pitts. The two men then fled the scene in a stolen vehicle.
At about 5:22 a.m. the same day, the Lombard Police Department responded to a call of a home invasion and shooting at 433 S. Highland Ave.
During this incident, the male homeowner was awoken by Pitts and Johnson in his living room with Johnson pointing a gun at him and asking, "Where's the money?"
Pitts then went to the upstairs bedroom where the mother and her daughter were sleeping in the same bed.
Pitts ordered them to the main floor of the residence and then ordered the daughter to the basement and ordered her to remove her clothing.
The girl refused and fled, at which time, a physical struggle ensued between the father and Pitts.
The struggle went into the backyard of the residence leaving Johnson with a gun behind them.
During the struggle, Johnson fired multiple gunshots. One struck the father in the chest and another struck the family car.
The gunshot that hit the father went through him and ultimately struck Pitts as well.
The two men then fled the scene in the same stolen vehicle driven by a third co-defendant, Keytori Jackson.
Jackson has been sentenced to 14 years for her role in the crime.
"In the early morning hours, Mr. Pitts and Mr. Johnson violated the sanctity of their victims’ home in the worst imaginable way possible," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin. "We all deserve to feel safe and secure in our homes and the shockingly violent behavior shown by these two men demonstrates their complete disregard for our laws and for human life."
On Monday, a judge imposed Pitts' sentence of 35 years for attempted murder, a consecutive sentence of 25 years for home invasion and a concurrent 12-year sentence for attempted child pornography. Pitts will be required to serve 41.5 years before being eligible for parole.