Suspect in Custody After Hostage Situation in HighPoint Neighborhood

Authorities have a suspect in custody in connection with a hostage situation that brought numerous law enforcement agencies to the HighPoint community in Romeoville on Thursday evening.

Cmdr. John Ferdinardo said a man was taken into custody following a domestic incident with his girlfriend at 204 S. HighPoint Drive. He said no other details on the suspect were available Thursday night. 

Ferdinardo said the woman suffered minor injuries in the incident. Police were dispatched to the scene around 7:35 p.m. after receiving a call regarding a possible hostage situation. The initial report stated that the man might be armed with a handgun, Ferdinardo said.

When officers arrived, the apartment was dark and no one answered the door. Romeoville Police called in the Will County Sheriff's Office's Special Operations Group, which specializes in hostage and sniper situations.

"They negotiated, he came out peacefully," Ferdinardo said. The man was taken to the police station to be interviewed Thursday evening, and officers continue to investigate reports that he was armed, police said.

Ferdinardo said two buildings, including the suspect's residence, were evacuated as a precaution. Police had barricaded off an area surrounding three buildings and did not let residents return to their homes until close to 10:15 p.m.

A woman who identified herself as the property manager declined to comment on the incident, and HighPoint employees would not say how many were evacuated.

HighPoint resident Josh Bowen said police began evacuating his building around 8:50 p.m. 

"[It was] at least 100 people," Bowen said. 

A crowd of bystanders gathered near the apartment complex, and police kept people at Friendship Centre, away from the affected area until the scene was secured.

Representatives from the Romeoville Police Department, Will County Sheriff's Office and its Special Operations Group, and Lockport Township Fire Protection District responded to the incident, but were leaving the scene by around 10:15 p.m.

Ferdinardo said he had no information regarding reports from neighbors that a child may have been involved in the incident. 

One neighbor, who didn't give her name, said she noticed something was amiss around 8:45 p.m. 

"I saw the [police] tape over there," she said. "I thought maybe it was a drug bust or something, then all the sudden, there was one cop car after another.

"I've never seen anything like this, except in the movies."