One of the men charged with Robin W. Leydel’s murder said he wanted to confront the Brighton man about “selling drugs that were getting to my daughters.”

John M. Navigato said he had “warned” Leydel not to sell drugs to children, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday. Detectives have yet to substantiate his claims.

Leydel was shot and killed during a home invasion early Tuesday at his home in the 23900 block of 60th Street in Brighton.

Navigato, 50, of Bristol, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, burglary and attempted armed robbery in connection with Leydel’s death.

He was charged as a party to those crimes, along with Teddy W. Bieker, 19, also of Bristol; Brian Suchecki, 37, of Twin Lakes; and Richard J. Beeter, 54, of Lake Villa, Ill.

If convicted, the men face life plus 50 years in prison.

Suchecki faces another five years because he also is charged for being a felon with a gun.

The men must each post $500,000 cash bonds in order to get out of jail.

A preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 21 for Bieker, Beeter and Suchecki. Navigato is to have a hearing Oct. 19 to update his search for a lawyer.

Confrontation planned

According to the criminal complaint, Navigato was watching football and drinking beer at his home in the 22200 block of 121st Street with Bieker, Beeter and Suchecki when they decided to confront Leydel. Navigato said he was upset because his daughters had contact with drugs he believed Leydel sold.

Beeter reportedly offered to drive Navigato to Leydel’s home. Bieker and Suchecki volunteered to go along.

“Since Robin had threatened me in the past, I took my Remington 870 pump 20-gauge shotgun with me,” Navigato said.

He also gave Suchecki a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun and gave Bieker a .22-caliber Marlin rifle, which did not have a stock.

The four drove to Leydel’s home in Suchecki’s four-door Mazda. When they arrived, Suchecki reportedly stayed in the car.

Navigato said he got out of the car with a shotgun, walked to Leydel’s door and knocked. He said Leydel opened the door and hit him with a walking stick.

Navigato fell, but got up and knocked again, only to be hit again and again fall to the ground.

Navigato said he never heard a gunshot and didn’t know where a shot might have come from, but he said he then saw blood on Leydel’s shoulder.

Bieker said he fired one shot from the rifle while he stood in Leydel’s doorway, then saw “a guy lying on the floor in the house.”

Wife confronts intruders

Susan E. Leydel, who was heralded by investigators for calling 911 as men waved guns in her face, was asleep when the men arrived.

She awoke when said she heard “two loud bangs” followed by someone falling to the floor.

“Suebird,” her husband yelled.

When she went downstairs, Susan Leydel said she saw Navigato.

“Nothing happened,” Navigato yelled and slammed the kitchen door.

Susan Leydel pushed the door open and saw a man who put a shotgun to her face.

“Give me your f------ drugs and your f------ money,” he demanded.

Susan Leydel said she didn’t know anything about that and entered the kitchen, where she found Navigato holding a rifle and another man holding a double-barreled shotgun. Her husband was on the floor near the refrigerator, bleeding from his chest.

Before she called 911, Susan Leydel told one gunman that “he would have to shoot her because she was calling the police.”

After she called for help, the men fled.

Suspects apprehended

By then, authorities had enough information about the men and their car to recognize the Mazda with Illinois plates as it sped out of the Leydels’ driveway.

Deputies stopped the car on Highway 83 at Highway 50, about two miles away, in Paddock Lake. All four men were in the car, along with three guns; Beeter told the men to put the guns in the trunk, but he said they didn’t listen to him.

“What’s this all about?” Navigato asked as a deputy pulled six 20-gauge shotgun shells from Navigato’s jacket.

The man in a nearby house could die, the deputy explained.

“Good. That’s what he gets for selling my daughter bad coke,” Navigato reportedly said.

“I was just trying to protect my daughter,” Navigato added as he was led to the police car.

Hours later, he repeated the sentiment at a local hospital, “I just want you to know I did what I did for my daughters. I didn’t mean for it to get that bad.”

Leydel was pronounced dead at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, just over an hour after his wife called 911.