Cary woman, Washington man arrested after hourslong manhunt, standoff in Barrington

A Washington man who police said was wanted on a Chicago homicide and a Cary woman were arrested Tuesday after an hourslong police search and standoff in Lake Barrington, officials said.

Osceola L. Little, 38, of the 6600 block of Gateway Terrace in Everett, Washington, was charged with possession of a firearm as a felon, and Luisa Sanchez, 22, of the 28800 block of West South Street, Cary, was charged with obstructing justice, aiding a fugitive and possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a hit-and-run crash at 11:55 a.m. Tuesday on Route 14 and Pepper Road in Lake Barrington, according to the release. The car involved in the crash – which police said they determined had been driven by Little – was found abandoned at 12:35 p.m. at a business northwest of Pepper Road.

Deputies were told that Little fled from police during a car chase earlier that day, and he was “believed to be armed and dangerous,” Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said in the release.

[ Read more: Chicago homicide suspect in custody after Barrington-area search, foot chase, barricade that closed Route 14 ]

Police including dozens of deputies, specialized units and local police departments began searching for Little. Nearby public and private schools and municipal governments were notified. Police obtained video surveillance from a nearby business that showed a man whom police identified as Little leaving the crashed car on foot with a duffle bag and a woman, identified by police as Sanchez, leaving with a backpack, according to the release.

Sanchez was arrested at 2:10 p.m. at a gas station near Route 14 and Kelsey Road. Police found a gun hidden inside a bathroom air vent at the gas station; they said the gun belonged to Little and was used in the Chicago homicide.

“An area extending from Kelsey Road to the west, Route 22 to the north, Route 14 to the south and North Harbor Road to the east was systematically searched by over 10 drones, 20 K-9 teams, an Illinois State Police aircraft, sheriff’s deputies and area police departments,” Covelli said in the release.

Little was found by police at 6:20 p.m. and “immediately ran when confronted,” according to the release. Police chased Little on foot when he ran into an occupied industrial building in the 21900 block of Pepper Road in Lake Barrington. Deputies contained Little in an office room and evacuated the employees.

Sheriff’s negotiators and members of the tactical response team began negotiations with Little, and he surrendered at 8:15 p.m.

Little and Sanchez were due in court Wednesday morning. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office intended to file petitions seeking to detain Little and Sanchez in custody pending trial, and additional Lake County charges are likely, according to the release.

Additional charges also are likely by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Chicago Police Department.

The operation was managed from the sheriff’s new mobile command vehicle that allows emergency dispatch staff to provide “greater intelligence gathering and faster information relayed to units in the field,” Covelli said in the release.

“I could not be prouder of my team’s relentless determination during this fugitive search,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in the release. “We were able to deploy dozens of sheriff’s deputies to quickly establish a perimeter, and we cannot thank our municipal and state police partners enough for their response with dozens of resources. Both suspects are now in custody, a direct result of our collective strength, expert negotiation skills and dedication to public safety.”

The following police departments responded to the scene to help assist: Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington Hills, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Des Plaines, Fox River Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Illinois State Police, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Kildeer, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Mundelein, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, South Barrington, Tower Lakes, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Vernon Hills, Wauconda and Zion.

“The sheriff’s office also thanks The Salvation Army, who responded to provide water and food to all of the first responders at the scene,” Covelli said in the release.