After a shelter-in-place order was issued for some Joliet residents early Tuesday morning amid a manhunt for four burglary suspects, a homeowner made a startling discovery in his garage.
Authorities said Joliet police received a request for assistance at approximately 5 a.m. from neighboring law enforcement agencies who were in pursuit of burglary suspects traveling in at least one stolen vehicle.
Joliet police responded to the request and arrived at Black Road and Junie Court, where the vehicle had been located. Officials originally said five male suspected believe to be armed fled on foot, but police later updated that number to four.
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During the search for suspects, one nearby homeowner noticed someone in his detached garage, peaking out the window.
The man alerted officers to the suspect's presence, and police discovered the man hiding the trunk of a sedan once they approached the garage, where he was taken into custody, officials said.
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As police continued to search for remaining suspects, officials established neighborhood perimeter and at 5:30 a.m. issued a shelter-in-place for residents in the impacted area.
Photos and video from the scene showed a large police presence around the area near Joliet Catholic Academy, which moved to close its building for the day. In footage from a resident's Ring doorbell camera video, police can be seen approaching a neighbor's yard, with at least one officer carrying a shield.
Around 9:15 a.m. Joliet Police confirmed that a total of three suspects had been apprehended. Officials later clarified the suspects were not armed when they were taken into custody.
During a 10 a.m. press conference, police confirmed that the shelter-in-place for area residents had been lifted, adding that the fourth remaining suspect is believed to have left the area.
According to officials, an investigation remains ongoing and a search for the additional suspect is still underway.
This story has been updated to reflect the latest suspect information from officials.
