Major Intersection Re-Opens As Standoff Continues
Officials Prepared To 'Wait Out' Suspected Robber

POSTED: 1:38 p.m. CDT August 25, 2005
UPDATED: 1:24 p.m. CDT August 26, 2005


Story by nbc5.com

VILLA PARK, Ill. -- A standoff involving a suspected bank robber continued Friday afternoon in a residential home at the edge of unincorporated Villa Park.

NBC5's Lisa Tutman reported that police are prepared for another long day at the scene as they wait out the man who is believed to be a former Marine.

The intersection of North Avenue and Route 83 was reopen as of 12:06 p.m, FBI special agent Frank Bochte said.

Officials were able to reopen the intersection after the DuPage County SWAT team and the FBI utilized a "flash-bang device," he said.

The device creates a loud explosion sound designed to shock anyone in the area so officials can secure the area, Bochte said. The device was thrown into the woods behind the home, allowing SWAT team members to secure the area, he said.

The flash-bang device was used at around 11 a.m., Bochte said. Having the woods cleared allowed officials to reopen the intersection, he said.

Carol Roegner, of the DuPage County Sheriff's Department, confirmed that 15 hours elapsed since police last communicated with the man. She added that they know the man is alive.

No gunshots have been heard since the man entered the home Thursday, leading officials to believe that he remains alive, Bochte said.

"There are no hostages and no reason to put people in harm's way right away," Bochte said when asked why the standoff was taking so long. "We are constantly trying to initiate contact with the man."

He did not elaborate on how they were initiating contact.

A police chase Thursday afternoon ended with the suspect holing up inside the suburban home after forcing the residents out.

As the standoff neared the 24 hour mark, an FBI spokesman said that law enforcement agencies at the scene do not intend to do anything to force an altercation with the suspect.

"We're willing to wait him out," said Bochte. "We have the resources to wait him out, and it's going to be up to him."

Officials say the multiple agencies involved in the standoff have one over-riding priority.

"Our priority is to get that man out of that house safely," said Roegner.

Authorities closed the surrounding streets in the area near North Avenue and Route 83 Friday morning and evacuated residents from area homes.

Police and SWAT teams, assisted by the FBI, surrounded the house where the man, thought to be wearing body armor, barricaded himself.

Some businesses that back up to the home on North Avenue remained closed as of 12:15 p.m., Roegner said. She did not know when they would be allowed to reopen.

Some residents in the area were frustrated by the lengthy standoff.

"I can't believe he's lasted that long. They should just go in there and get him out. They have a SWAT team here, go in there and get him out," resident John Knasko said.

"It just looks like a war zone," another resident, Suzanne Minford, told Tutman Friday morning. "You're wondering what's going on and it's amazing to see all these for one man that they're trying to capture with no hostage. It's scary."

Residents and police alike hope the situation ends with no injuries.

"I just feel real bad that someone would have to do that, and I just hope he makes it out ok, because there's always hope," said Branden Mathena.

NBC5 reported that the chase followed a bank robbery at The Harris Bank at 1000 S. La Grange Road at about 12:30 p.m. Police followed the suspect along Interstate 294, exchanging gunfire with the suspect.

Two officers were injured by flying glass in the return fire after the suspect hit two squad cars, NBC5 reported.

The chase ended in a parking lot at North Avenue and Route 83 in Villa Park, where witnesses said the man bailed out of his car and ran into a nearby house. The residents of the home fled, and the man stayed inside, not communicating with police until after 5 p.m. Friday when he picked up his cell phone, police said.

That communication was quickly terminated by the suspect, NBC5 reported.

Police used a bullhorn and telephone in continued attempts to contact the suspect inside.

A white Cadillac, with its windows shot out, was towed from the scene. Witnesses said that it was the car the suspect was driving when he bailed out and took off on foot.

A witness to part of the chase described what he saw.

"All the sudden we heard some sirens and this guy in a white Caddy came flying out of nowhere and blew into the parking lot. About seven or eight squads came flying out of nowhere and some guy in (a) tan Sable comes flying out, flak jackets on, the whole deal, and he came flying through the woods," the man, identified as Michael, said.

Detective Jim Williams, of the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, said that the man was not holding any hostages.

Police considered the man armed and very dangerous, NBC5 reported.

Maybe he's making a sammich

Although it would be sad, in some ways it would be humorous if the police were forced to wait out some of our Survivalist members.
Some of those guys have enough supplies that the cops would run out before they did!

If they went in and someone got hurt, someone would be saying "why didn't they just wait him out?"

I hope they took their dog when they left the house.

The cops are pretty sure they have the right house. Just waiting for the pizza delivery boy to confirm it.

Oh man I cought some of the news coverage of this lastnight. They showed some swat guys in woodland camo one of them was carryinga bolt gun that looked pimp, lookd like it had a McMillan A4 or A5 stock. And a guy with an MP5A2 and at least one with an M4 type rifle.

Quoted: Although it would be sad, in some ways it would be humorous if the police were forced to wait out some of our Survivalist members. Some of those guys have enough supplies that the cops would run out before they did!

What the cops run out of is $$$ from the budget to fund all the OT on extended callouts like this. The bills add up fast. Tens of thousands per day in overtime & equipment costs for the scene and backfilling the patrol positions of the officers stuck on the scene.

Quoted: Quoted: Although it would be sad, in some ways it would be humorous if the police were forced to wait out some of our Survivalist members. Some of those guys have enough supplies that the cops would run out before they did! What the cops run out of is $$$ from the budget to fund all the OT on extended callouts like this. The bills add up fast. Tens of thousands per day in overtime & equipment costs for the scene and backfilling the patrol positions of the officers stuck on the scene.

Expense of the ongoing siege was one of the excuses given for attacking and killing the Branch Davidians in WACO on April 19.

Wouldn't y'all guess that in any given suburban home there is food to last at least two or three freaking weeks?

Quoted: Although it would be sad, in some ways it would be humorous if the police were forced to wait out some of our Survivalist members. Some of those guys have enough supplies that the cops would run out before they did!

The Police may have the time,  the survivalist is usually the one that gets impatient and starts slinging rounds around the neighborhood or blows his on head off.

Quoted: ...WACO...

Here we go.....

This ended last night when the SWAT teams went into the house and found the bank robber dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  

www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0508270061aug27,0,3023527.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Standoff ends in apparent suicide Bank robbery suspect held off cops 27 hours   By Angela Rozas and Ted Gregory, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters Joseph Sjostrom and Jason George contributed to this report August 27, 2005 The suspect in a La Grange bank robbery was found dead Friday, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, in the Villa Park home where he had held police at bay for more than 27 hours. The FBI and DuPage County sheriff's deputies discovered the body of Juan Silvas, 30, on the second floor of the white, two-story house about 4:15 p.m. Authorities decided to go inside after going "quite a while" without hearing any sounds or having any communication with the man, FBI spokesman Frank Bochte said. Bochte could not say whether there were guns near the body. The man was suspected of using a revolver and a semi-automatic weapon to rob the La Grange Harris Bank at 2000 S. La Grange Rd. on Thursday afternoon, taking about $1,000. Bochte said at least one gun has been recovered from the scene of the standoff, and police also found cash in the house. A tearful woman who answered the door Friday at Silvas' home in the 10200 block of South Ewing Avenue declined to comment. Police said Silvas is a former Marine. On Thursday, he led police on a multitown chase--shooting at La Grange officers along the way, slightly injuring one officer hit by flying glass--until he dumped his car near Illinois Highway 83 and North Avenue. From there, Silvas ran through a wooded area and into a home in the 1N600 block of Creekside Street in Villa Park, prompting residents to flee. Throughout the evening and into Friday afternoon, authorities tried a variety of methods to coax the man from the home, including loud percussion-like grenades and a chemical agent similar to tear gas. Authorities tried to talk to Silvas using a cell phone they tossed into the home and on the home's land line, reaching him once Thursday evening. They used a robot equipped with sound and video equipment to try to locate him, but the robot could not go up stairs. Although neighbors were allowed to return to their homes Friday evening, Bochte said the owners of the house where Silvas had holed up will not be able to return for some time because the house is a crime scene. He said the house was full of tear gas and had to be ventilated before the body could be removed. Police will document damage to the house so the homeowners can be compensated, he said. Bochte said police searching the home found the body of the family's dog, Rosie, which the suspect allegedly shot. But a relative said the home's residents escaped unharmed. "The whole family's fine," said Jeff Lantz, whose sister, Sarah Searer, lives in the home with her husband and three children. "She's been very quiet about the whole thing," he said. "She really hasn't told us the story. I'm sure they're very traumatized about it."

Quoted: Wouldn't y'all guess that in any given suburban home there is food to last at least two or three freaking weeks?

Nope most people buy what they need for a week, maybe a little more. Most people are genrealy not prepared for an extened period of time where they may be stuck in their home.

Someone comes running into my house and they will be well ventilated. Another good reason to carry even while you are at home.

Sounds as if they did it correctly, unfamiliar surroundings for the thug, knew he was surrounded, LEO can wait a bit, did, the thug knew he was SOL and ended it with finality. Whats the problem, the guy was a bank robber who put innocents in harms way. As long as they fix up the homeowners house, good call.
One guy could easily last a few weeks as long as he had water, there is a thing called canned goods, and 1 person could easily ration it for a while. [or cereal, and the like] Wonder if they cut the juice. I would ASAP.

Quoted: Quoted: Wouldn't y'all guess that in any given suburban home there is food to last at least two or three freaking weeks? Nope most people buy what they need for a week, maybe a little more. Most people are genrealy not prepared for an extened period of time where they may be stuck in their home.

Yeah but enough food for a family of even two or three for a week would last one determined man several weeks I would think.

you're damned if you do, you're damned if you dont

it seems...

Bochte said police searching the home found the body of the family's dog, Rosie, which the suspect allegedly shot.

So the dog wound up getting shot anyway


GM

The police did good. They knew they had the advantage and used it.

That being said, the intel was fresh they knew the suspect was in said house, and as soon as they established there was no bystanders/hostages in the house, I would see no problem with a DE.

They made the call not to until they hadn't had comms with the suspect in quite some time, and I have no problem with that.

Something to note, if the suspect is suicidal they are by definition homicidal. If they had forced the issue who knows what would have happened. For those of you complaining about the OT cost, ask yourself this: how much would it cost to train a new officer up to SWAT standards? How much does it cost to pay the family death benefits/pension? How about if an officer got hurt and put on disability? How much is an officer's life worth? Less than OT?

breach, bang and clear.