Folks of Fire Chief Charged With Sex Attack Sick of Cops' House Calls

Before their son was charged with trying to rape and kill a neighbor in his Tinley Park condo, the parents of former Chicago Ridge Deputy Fire Chief Gary Swiercz underwent more than 10 surgeries.

And now that they have their son living with him on home confinement while he awaits trial on 15 felony counts related to the alleged January attack, the Cook County cops are showing up at their Worth home at all hours of the day and night.

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Swiercz's attorney, Colleen McSweeney Moore, said during a Monday hearing at the Bridgeview courthouse that the constant checks are unreasonable and a "concerted effort on the part of the Cook County Sheriff's Police to harass this family."

Prosecutor Denise Tomasek countered that the cops are following the general orders for checking on a high priority home confinement case "to the letter." Those orders include an in-person visit to the confined person's home once during each eight hour shift.

It's the late-shift visit that really gets to Swiercz's mother, Barbara Swiercz. The 71-year-old says her seven recent surgeries and numerous ailments make it tough to sleep in the first place, but when the police come calling after midnight, it's that much worse.

"I have a big dog in my room and she notifies me they're at the door before they're at the door," Barbara Swiercz said, recalling how after she wakes to the "low growl" of her big dog, the police either pound on her door or repeatedly ring the bell, and sometimes flood the house with their squad car headlights.

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Gary Swiercz's father, Stan Swiercz, a 76-year-old retired machinist and mechanic, said the early morning checks do not bother him as he turns his hearing aid off when he turns in for the night.

Gary Swiercz, 50, faces two counts of attempted murder, three counts of home invasion, seven counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two counts of residential burglary, and a single count of aggravated unlawful restraint in connection with the early morning Jan. 5 attack.

He allegedly broke into his neighbor's apartment while wearing a ski mask, armed with a knife and toting rope, zip ties and duct tape. Once inside, he put the knife to his neighbor's throat and tried to sexually assault her, prosecutors said, but they scuffled and he split.

Witnesses reportedly saw Gary Swiercz throwing things into a dumpster after the alleged attack. The Tinley Park police apprehended him in the condo parking lot.

Gary Swiercz was placed on indefinite leave from the Chicago Ridge Fire Department following his arrest. He later put in for retirement.

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Gary Swiercz was released on $150,000 bond the day after he was taken into custody. But as a condition of that bond he could no longer stay in his condo since his alleged victim still resides in the building. So Swiercz moved in with his mother and father, staying in what Moore called a "meager, three bedroom, raised ranch home."

Another condition of Swiercz's bond is that he not leave the "meager" home, and that he wear an ankle bracelet that alerts police if he strays too far.

During Monday's hearing, Moore asked Judge John Joseph Hynes to order the police to knock off their checks between midnight and 8 a.m., for the sake of Gary Swiercz's parents.

"It's not about him," Moore said. "It's about his parents, their age, their fragile condition."

Moore also said the police have stationed squad cars on the Swiercz's street and around the corner, and have been pulling over visitors without reason. Two of those visitors—one of whom is Chicago Ridge Trustee Brad Grove—told of enigmatic run-ins with police while driving away from the Swiercz residence.

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Grove identified himself not only as a trustee and long-time friend of Gary Swiercz, but also as a Eucharistic minister who had brought his buddy Holy Communion before he was pulled over. The officer told him he failed to signal a lane change, Grove said, but he suspected he was targeted for visiting Swiercz.

Judge Hynes said allegedly unwarranted traffic stops would be "more of a civil matter." He also said the police—whom Barbara Swiercz said have "been so very nice and very helpful"—were merely doing their jobs when visiting the residence.

"The bottom line is, the police are complying with the general order," said Hynes as he denied the request to cut out early morning checks.

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