Criminal incident at Glen Ellyn hotel complex is latest as lawsuit's hearing nears

GLEN ELLYN – The arrest of a man at the Budgetel Inn and Suites and America's Best Inn complex in the 600 block of Roosevelt Road in the June 14 attempted murder of his 61-year-old father is the latest incident in a long list of criminal activities at the complex, which has extended-stay and transient rooms.

Charles Mitchell, 26, of the 600 block of Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn, has been charged with one count of attempted first degree murder and two counts of domestic battery. He remains in DuPage County Jail on a $1 million bond.

As of June 21, the father remained hospitalized. At 1:19 a.m. June 14, police officers responded to a domestic violence call at a hotel room Mitchell shared with his father and brother at 677 Roosevelt Road, according to a news release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. Upon their arrival, officers found Mitchell, his father and his brother at the hotel, where Mitchell’s father was suffering from multiple head injuries.

Authorities alleged that during that evening, Mitchell and his brother got into an altercation, resulting in Mitchell beating his brother about the face, including gouging his eyes. Mitchell then got into a physical altercation with his father in which Mitchell allegedly struck and kicked his father about his head and body, the release stated.

An office manager at the hotel complex declined to comment on the incident. Village and Police Department officials declined to comment on the ongoing problems at the hotel complex.

"It's an unfortunate outcome," Glen Ellyn Deputy Police Chief Bill Holmer said about the injuries the father suffered in the June 14 incident.

The complex frequently shows up in police department reports. Earlier this year, a guest at the Budgetel Inn reportedly was robbed of about $2,000 in cash during an armed robbery.

In addition, a Chicago woman in February was charged with prostitution and drug paraphernalia possession at the hotel complex.

In response to criminal activity and poor maintenance at the complex, village trustees in 2013 passed an ordinance regulating hotels. The ordinance prevents guests from staying in transient rooms for a period longer than 60 days and extended-stay rooms for longer than 365 days.

The ordinance also requires that hotel owners must not knowingly allow illegal acts, including prostitution, gambling or any drug activity, to occur on their property. Hotels also must undergo annual inspections by village staff to ensure units are being kept in clean and safe conditions.

In response, the owners of the complex in September 2015 filed a federal lawsuit against the village regarding the ordinance, which they claim was passed to drive them out of business. A status hearing on the suit is set for July 6.

Kamlesh and Shreya Sheth own the Budgetel Inn and Suites and America’s Best Inn through Taft Investment Inc. The Sheths have owned the hotels since 1997.

“The village passed this ordinance with the intent of assisting in its goal of ousting the Sheth parties from the village, as the sole purpose of its provisions are to harm the hotels’ revenue stream,” the suit contended. “Since its inception, the hotels have catered to extended-stay guests, who often stay for more than a year. These guests provide a substantial amount of Taft’s annual revenue.”

The Sheths in their lawsuit also contend they are being treated differently from the only other hotel in Glen Ellyn, the Crowne Plaza, 1250 Roosevelt Road, and that the village has violated their civil rights.

They want to have the village’s hotel ordinance declared unconstitutional. In addition, the Sheths are seeking at least $300,000 in damages.

The village has denied it has violated any of their constitutional rights.