Should D230 Students Have Gone To Lockport During Manhunt?

Last Friday afternoon was exciting for many in the Orland Park and Lockport communities.

Boys’ basketball teams from neighboring rivals, and Lockport Township High School East, were pumped to play it out on the hardwood. Students and fans from both schools were busy painting their game faces with their respective school colors.

Oh, and there was an escaped inmate on the loose.

Cesar Sanchez, 37, who is serving a seven-year sentence for burglary, managed to escape from authorities while returning to Stateville Correctional Center after a scheduled court appearance in Bridgeview. He fled on foot, handcuffed and wearing his issue-yellow jumpsuit, touching off a six-hour manhunt, helicopters hovering over the area and an evacuation of the Lockport Walmart.

Sanchez escaped from the prison transport around 2:15 pm near 159th Street and Farrell Road, just down the road from the campus of Lockport Township East High School. He was spotted next in Rockdale and later that evening he was found at a Waste Management facility hiding in a Port-A-Potty.

Whether Sandburg and Lockport students were ever at risk was questioned during Tuesday night's Student Services Committee meeting.

Parental Concern

Board member Kathy Quilty said several people called her wanting to know why the basketball game was not cancelled in light of the situation.

“Do we have a protocol? Who makes the decision (in such cases),” Quilty asked.

She also pointed out that for Sandburg students to attend the Lockport game, they needed to travel down Farrell Road.

“My son, who is a senior at Sandburg, wanted to attend the game. I would not let him," Quilty said. "This is a decision I made out of concern as a parent.”

She also noted that Homer Jr. High School, located on 159th and Bell Ave., was on lockdown for its afterschool activities.

Administrators’ Reply

Sandburg Principal Debbie Boniface defended the decision to continue with the game. After assessing the situation with administrators at Lockport High School and consulting with the Lockport Police Department, Sandburg administrators were confident athletes and students were safe to travel.

“We were in complete communication with Lockport High School and the local police and were very aware of the situation,” said Boniface.

“Both school districts (D230 and Lockport’s D205) had to rely on the correspondence of their police liaisons and were told it was safe,” said Kim Dryier, District 230’s assistant superintendent of instruction, during the meeting.

“The police would require a lockdown of the school if they felt there was any danger. That’s just the nature of today’s society,” said Stagg High School Principal Eric Olsen.

The Results

By the end of the evening, Sanchez was back in custody. The Sandburg Eagles beat Lockport 55 – 50.

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