Man charged in home invasion that left accomplice dead

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Murder charges were filed Tuesday against a Tennessee man accused of breaking into a suburban Chicago home with an accomplice who was fatally shot by the homeowner.

Bradley Finnan, 39, of Chattanooga is being held without bond on murder and home invasion charges for the alleged attack Saturday that left Larry Brodacz, 58, of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, dead.

Cook County prosecutors told a judge that Finnan and Brodacz were armed with a gun when they rang the doorbell of the home in Arlington Heights and pushed their way in during an apparent robbery attempt. Brodacz was fatally shot when he attacked the homeowner with a knife, prosecutors said. Finnan was arrested shortly after fleeing the home.

Following his capture Sunday, Finnan told investigators Brodacz claimed he’d seen $200,000 cash in boxes in the home 20 years ago and believed the money was still there, prosecutors said. Finnan told investigators he knew Brodacz from a car dealership where they both worked.

The homeowner later told investigators he opened the door to the two men expecting to greet landscapers. Prosecutors said that as the homeowner fought Finnan, the other intruder went after the man’s wife and two children, who fled to an upstairs bedroom.

After fighting off Finnan, the homeowner retrieved his own gun and fatally shot Brodacz in the abdomen. Finnan is being held under an Illinois statute that allows murder charges against suspects if they take part in a felony offense that leads to another person’s death.