Crowd dissipates as manhunt shifts from apartment complex

Residents of an Arlington Heights apartment complex where police were involved in an intense manhunt for nearly six hours earlier today were relieved to be able to return to their homes by 5 p.m.

Dozens of law enforcement personnel, some with rifles and dogs, searched the Ashton Condominium complex just north and east of Algonquin Road and Tonne Drive for an escaped prisoner, while a growing crowd of residents, friends of residents and onlookers gathered nearby.

Carmela Garcia, 24, who lives in the condo building in the heart of the search, returned from work at Chipotle in Rolling Meadows worried about her brother, Fabian, 11.

She tried to get into the building but a police officer told her, "Get out of here - do you want to get shot?"

"My little brother, he's been sick so he's been staying home," she said. Her mother eventually was able to confirm with Holmes Middle School, which was on lockdown, that he was in class today, relieving Carmela's fears.

About that time, though, two officers with riot shields rounded her building headed farther into the complex, sparking new fears about what might be happening.

When police tactical teams eventually pulled out, Carmela was eager to check on her dog Cofi, a cocker spaniel/poodle mix.

Danielle Salinas, 26, who lives in Tanglewood Apartments off Goebbert Road, said U.S. marshalls were going through her complex building by building earlier today, knocking on everyone's door to ask if anyone had seen the escapee.

She said she received a call telling her that her two kids were on lockdown at Forest View Elementary School a few blocks away and that she had to go pick them up.

Meanwhile, Salinas said, the children going to Forest View Community School, which is closer to the search area, were let out about 2:30 p.m.

"It was literally 15 minutes of kids everywhere. That's when they hadn't blocked off Falcon street here," she said, questioning why the kids had been released.