Overnight at Downers Grove North High School turned tense early Wednesday when a man crawled through an unlocked first-floor window, demanded money from a maintenance worker, and took off the moment a second staffer walked in, according to police. No weapon was shown or even hinted at, but the encounter was serious enough that school employees swept and secured the entire building before students arrived, while officers searched the surrounding neighborhood.
Downers Grove police say the man slipped in through the unlocked window and confronted a maintenance worker for cash, according to ABC7 Chicago. The man bolted from the building when another employee entered the area, and by the time officers arrived, he was gone.
Suspect Description And School Statement
Police described the suspect as a Black male about 50 to 60 years old, roughly 5-foot-6, with gray facial hair. He was reportedly wearing a black puffy coat, a dark baseball cap, green pants, tan gloves and boots, and carrying a black drawstring bag. Officers said he fled on foot and was last seen heading south on Forest Avenue shortly after police responded just after 1:30 a.m., according to NBC Chicago.
In a letter to families, the superintendent and principal said staff spent the early morning hours working to “sweep the building and ensure that all of our building spaces were unoccupied and secured,” a point also reported by NBC Chicago. Classes proceeded as scheduled once the building was cleared.
Police Footage And Tips
Investigators released a surveillance image of the person of interest and asked anyone with information to contact the Downers Grove Police Department at 630-434-5600, according to Patch. FOX 32 Chicago noted that no one is in custody and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Local Context
The break-in lands in the middle of a year that has already seen other high-profile robberies nearby. In April, a case on Forest Avenue led to multiple arrests and highlighted recurring safety concerns along that corridor, as reported by CBS Chicago. Residents say incidents like these have kept local law enforcement focused on nighttime patrols in commercial and high-traffic pockets of the village.
Police are still reviewing security footage and interviewing potential witnesses as the search for the intruder continues. Anyone with tips or video that might help the investigation is urged to call the Downers Grove Police at 630-434-5600, according to Patch.
