An armed man kept police at bay for almost 11 hours after breaking into a home late Tuesday and taking his ex-girlfriend hostage.
A 34-year-old Sandy man, who was apparently upset after recently breaking up with his girlfriend, forced his way into the back door of her split-level home at 1089 E. Cliff Side Circle (7945 South) about 10:30 p.m., police said.The man and the woman have not been identified.
"The woman was talking to her mother on the phone at the time and started yelling, `He's coming in, he's coming in!' " said Sandy Police Sgt. Terry Pepper. "When the line went dead, the mother called 911."
The man broke in carrying a rifle. Police don't know whether he had any other weapons.
Police arrived moments after the mother called and made phone contact with the captor while SWAT teams surrounded the home.
"It was obvious the man was under the influence of alcohol or some kind of drug," Pepper said.
Negotiators maintained "off and on" contact with the man until about 2 a.m., when the garage door opened and the woman walked out unharmed. Investigators aren't certain if the woman escaped or left with her ex-boyfriend's permission. Police then lost contact with the suspect for several hours because the man refused to answer the phone.
Police decided to evacuate neighbors living in the area about 6 a.m. A short time later, negotiators re-established contact, whereupon the man said he wanted to speak with his lawyer.
After the attorney arrived, the man agreed to surrender about 9:30 a.m. He was arrested without incident.
Investigators don't know what sparked the man's alleged actions, but say he was apparently distraught following the breakup of the couple's six-year relationship.
The standoff left residents surprised and upset.
"We don't have to call the police in this neighborhood much, but I guess these domestic problems can happen anywhere," said one man, who asked not to be identified.