ALTON - Madison County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man after a standoff that followed a reported domestic disturbance Thursday morning, April 2, 2026, at a home in Alton, authorities said.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Henson remains in custody at the Madison County Jail, the Madison County Sheriff's Office said.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged the suspect, Bilejo W. Henson, with:
Home Invasion (Class X Felony)
Aggravated Unlawful Restraint (Class 3 Felony)
Aggravated Unlawful Possession of Weapons (Class 4 Felony)
Domestic Battery (Class A Misdemeanor)
Interfering with the Reporting of Domestic Violence (Class A Misdemeanor)
Deputies responded at 7:19 a.m. Thursday, April 2, 2026, to the 5000 block of Fosterburg Road, where “the victim was able to escape from the scene and the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, remained in the residence,” the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Deputies, detectives, Illinois State Police troopers, and ILEAS SWAT members stayed at the scene for several hours “in an attempt to take the suspect into custody,” the sheriff’s office said. “After approximately five hours, the suspect was arrested without incident.”
After executing a search warrant and conducting interviews, authorities said they determined the suspect entered the home without permission and threatened the victim with a handgun.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect took the victim’s phone when she attempted to call 911 and battered her before she escaped.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
