Suspect in custody after Arlington Heights home invasion, 7½-hour standoff

First off, the Report's headquarters and corporate campus is located in Arlington Heights. It's a lovely safe community inhabited by law abiding hard working Americans...with the exception the home intruder.

Suspect in custody after Arlington Heights home invasion, 7½-hour standoff

Posted February 19, 2026 3:45 pm

By Christopher Placek, Daily Herald

Feb 20, 2026

Police responding to a reported burglary in progress at an Arlington Heights home Thursday morning rescued residents from an armed intruder, authorities said.

The rescue preceded a 7½-hour standoff that finally ended when the suspect surrendered after police arranged for him to communicate with a family member, officials said.

The suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, was in Arlington Heights police custody Thursday night pending the approval of charges by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

The events began shortly after 7:33 a.m. when officers responded to a break-in at the single-family residence in the 800 block of North Chestnut Avenue, authorities said.

The homeowners reported an unknown man wearing dark clothing and a hoodie entered their residence through the open overhead garage door, police said. They locked themselves in an upstairs bedroom and called 911, according to police.

Police surrounded an Arlington Heights home for more than 7 hours Thursday during a standoff with an intruder, officials said. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

Upon arrival, officers entered the residence and were immediately met with the sound of gunfire, police said. Additional officers arrived, entered the home and got the residents out unharmed, according to police.

While that was happening, additional officers saw the suspect attempting to escape through a window but retreat back inside when he was spotted.

A SWAT unit from the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System later entered the home with an Arlington Heights police dog. They located the suspect in the basement and began negotiating his surrender, police said.

After continued attempts throughout the morning and early afternoon, negotiators were able to connect the man with a family member, resulting in the suspect’s peaceful surrender, according to police.

A reported burglary in progress led to a long police standoff Thursday in the 800 block of North Chestnut Avenue in Arlington Heights. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

Nearby schools were placed on a soft lock down during the standoff, as was the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, but police said there was no threat to the community.

Residents of several neighboring homes were evacuated, including Jack Murray, who said he saw police toss flashbang grenades through a window of the surrounded home.

“I was coming home and I thought maybe it was a gas explosion,” added neighbor Debra Baruch.

On Thursday evening, Arlington Heights police officials praised the “bravery and selfless action” of the officers who rescued the residents from “a dangerous and potentially deadly encounter.”