Police Determine Hostage-Taking Call To Be A Hoax

An Everbridge emergency alert was sent to select Oak Lawn residents on Thursday after police received a call a person claiming to be holding people hostage that has since been determined to be a hoax.

According to an Oak Lawn police news release, the police front desk received a call from a person around 10:19 a.m. claiming to be holding three people hostage in a home in the 5700 block of 90th Place in Oak Lawn. 

The subject made ransom demands and threatened to harm the hostages who lived in the home, police said. 

Oak Lawn police responded by setting up a perimeter around the home and sent out an Everbridge message to residents in the immediate area of 90th Place. 

Police were able to obtain information about the family that resided in the home in question and were able to make contact with family members who were not at home.  

The family members advised police that their teenage son should be home alone. Police were able to contact the son who was directed out of the house. 

Police searched the home and determined the incident to be a hoax. Oak Lawn police detectives are following up on information from the teen son's contacts through the Internet and online gaming.  

It is not known if the caller was male or female.