6 arrested after Schaumburg standoff involving 19

Six people were arrested after a standoff with 19 people who barricaded themselves in a Schaumburg apartment ended peacefully Thursday morning, police said.

A woman was heard screaming during the confrontation and one person was taken to an area hospital when the standoff was over about 6:30 a.m.

Once police were able to break into the apartment after the nearly six-hour standoff, they arrested five minors on alcohol-related charges and a 22-year-old Schaumburg man.

John C. Martel, who lived in the apartment, was charged with one count of disorderly conduct and one count of permitting a minor to become intoxicated.

During the standoff, officers heard a physical disturbance inside the apartment and heard a female screaming for help while a male told her to sit down and be quiet, police said. Later, an occupant could be heard saying somebody had been killed inside, police said.

Police said there was a party in the apartment that got out of control and multiple fights broke out during the standoff. The woman who was heard screaming was yelling to be let out of the apartment, Schaumburg Sgt. John Nebl said.

Nearby residents were warned not to leave their dwellings during the standoff, which began at 1:47 a.m. Thursday.

“I heard someone scream. It was a female voice,” Schaumburg Villas resident Vinnie Delfrari said.

“My wife wanted to leave for work around 5 a.m., but the police wouldn’t let her,” said Lui Rangel, who lives in the building right next to the one where the group was taken into custody.

The family watched as a SWAT team staked out the building. A police Hummer was parked in front, police dogs were brought in and, around 6 a.m., helicopters began circling above the block. A little later, Rangel said he saw the group of young people being taken into custody.

“They had to come out on their knees,” Rangel said.

Police Sgt. John Nebl said a police officer was checking on a suspicious person on the 2200 block of Pennview Drive when he heard a disturbance and saw a number of people flee a nearby apartment complex at 1:47 a.m.

The officer attempted to make contact with the people, Nebl said, but the people then ran back inside the apartment complex without speaking with the officer as the officer approached.

The officer then tried to enter the apartment complex where he heard the female inside calling for help, Nebl said.

The officer called for backup, and multiple police officers attempted to enter the complex, Nebl said. But the door to the apartment was blocked from the inside by furniture and the offenders inside the building refused to open the door.

He said officers backed off and called in the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System SWAT team, who made contact with the people inside and asked them to open the door.

The offenders refused again, Nebl said, forcing the SWAT team to force their way inside at about 6:30 a.m. Everyone taken into custody was taken to the police station for questioning.

Police said the occupants had barricaded themselves in the unit by wedging several couches against the door.