Will County homeowner exchanges gunfire with suspect, halts attempted arson of stolen vehicle
WILL COUNTY, Ill. - A Will County homeowner exchanged gunfire with a suspect early Monday morning.
At about 3:50 a.m., Will County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of an unknown dark-colored Silverado parked in the driveway in the 28000 block of South 80th Avenue in Peotone Township.
The homeowner told deputies that he saw two male subjects near the side of his residence and exchanged one round of gunfire with one of the subjects.
The two subjects then drove off in the Silverado.
No one was injured.
Additionally, the homeowner said an unknown, unoccupied Volkswagen SUV was parked near his barn. Deputies found a window broken out of the vehicle with gasoline poured throughout the inside.
The homeowner told deputies that due to the exchange of gunfire, the suspects were unable to light the vehicle on fire.
Deputies determined that the Volkswagen SUV had been stolen out of Skokie.
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Residents were told to shelter in place while deputies searched the area for the suspects.
Sheriff's deputies and K-9 units located the Silverado in the 8000 block of West Offner Road. It was determined that the subjects left the area and the shelter-in-place was canceled.
The sheriff's office said there have been several prior motor vehicle thefts reported within the last few weeks, specifically in Wilton, Peotone, Green Garden and Monee Townships.
It is believed that the vehicle thieves are familiar with the area and are targeting the eastern area of Will County. Most of the vehicles stolen have occurred in the overnight hours, the sheriff's office said. One vehicle was also stolen out of an open garage in Peotone in the middle of the day while the residents were home.
The sheriff's office is continuing to encourage residents to come forward with information if they observe suspicious people and vehicles in their neighborhood. You are encouraged to call 911, submit a crime tip at www.willcosheriff.org, or contact Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734 or crimestoppersofwillcounty.org. You may remain anonymous when submitting.