COOK COUNTY, IL – A 54-year-old man was charged with Aggravated Kidnapping with a Firearm and Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm after he barricaded himself with two others inside his Tinley Park home for nearly 17 hours on Halloween, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.
Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, the Sheriff’s Police Hostage and Barricade Team, Sheriff’s Police Negotiators, and the South Suburban Emergency Response Team responded to a residence in the 17900 block of South Harlem Avenue. Upon arrival, officers learned that the resident, Jason Soltis, was armed with a firearm and had barricaded himself with two individuals inside his home.
At approximately 3:38 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, officers gained entry after hearing a single gunshot fired from inside the home. Soltis was taken into custody without incident. Officers found two female victims, one who appeared unharmed and another who was bound at the ankles and wrists. Both were transported to a local area hospital for medical evaluations. No injuries resulted from the gunfire.
On Saturday, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved felony charges of Aggravated Kidnapping with a Firearm and Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm against Soltis.
He is scheduled to appear today for an initial appearance hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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