Man charged with Arlington Heights home invasion after 2 rescued amid hourslong police standoff

An armed home invasion suspect has been charged, after he was arrested following an hourslong standoff with police, during which two people were rescued on Thursday in northwest suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Alex Pacino, 50, has been charged with one count of home invasion and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a burglary in progress in the 800 block of North Chestnut Avenue.

The homeowners told police an armed man had entered their home through an open garage door. Police said the homeowners were able to lock themselves in a bedroom and call 911. Officers stormed into the home and safely rescued the homeowners.

During the rescue, officers heard gunfire inside the home. Police said SWAT teams used flash bangs and messages to try to get the armed intruder to leave the house. They told the suspect he was surrounded, tried calling his name, and even called his phone, but none of it worked.

Additional officers from neighboring suburbs were brought in, nearby schools were placed on soft lockdown, and the public was warned to stay away from the area as police tried to convince the man to surrender.

Around 3 p.m., Pacino exited the home and surrendered to police. He was due to appear in court on Saturday for a detention hearing.