Man breaks into home, hides in garage following car crash in Wilmette, according to police

A man who reportedly fled the scene of a car crash and broke into a nearby home was arrested following a two-hour police search and standoff Sunday in Wilmette.

Wilmette Deputy Police Chief Landon Girard said the subject was inside of a garage prior to his apprehension around 4:30 p.m. Nov. 24, approximately two hours after the man was involved in the crash in the intersection of Lake Avenue and Skokie Boulevard.

According to Girard, following the crash, the man fled the scene on foot and entered an unlocked door of a nearby townhome in the 3100 block of Lake Avenue. While the residence was vacant when the man went inside, a resident soon entered the townhome and the subject soon fled to a detached garage in the area, according to a Wilmette police statement on the incident.

Girard said the subject and the resident had an interaction, but it was not physical and remains under investigation.

Responding police, which included officers from neighboring units, utilized ballistic shield and other tactical gear; however, Girard said law enforcement had no knowledge of a weapon or threat to the community.

“The information we had was he was in the garage and we were just taking precautions with the arrest,” he said. “We didn’t have knowledge of him having any weapons but (the response) was for the safety of the offender and the officers.”

An arrest was made around 4:30 p.m. and without incident, Girard said.

The inciting accident resulted in one injury and a preliminary investigation showed the arrested individual was the at-fault driver, Girard said.

As of press time, charges have not been filed against the man, who reportedly remains in police custody.

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