PONTIAC (WWJ) – A Pontiac man accused of torturing and sexually assaulting a woman last month is in police custody following a more than three-hour standoff with police on Thursday.
The 23-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released, was arrested around 3 p.m. after the barricaded situation at the Spring Lakes Apartments on Auburn near Carriage Circle in Pontiac.
The standoff unfolded Thursday morning when members of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Apprehension Team (FAT) and the detective bureau went to the apartment to arrest the suspect on a six-count warrant related to the Oct. 26 assault of a woman police describe as a "female acquaintance."
The charges in the warrant include torture — a life offense — as well as assault with intent to do great bodily harm and criminal sexual conduct with intent to commit sexual penetration.
The sheriff's office says FAT members were watching the suspect Thursday and as they moved to arrest him they heard the suspect rack a weapon.
A SWAT team, which included members of multiple local and federal agencies, was then called to the scene.
Authorities had to evacuate residents in 10 apartments as the suspect "made his way from apartment to apartment through the rafters in a futile attempt to elude law enforcement."
He was ultimately convinced to surrender and taken into custody.
In addition to the charges from the alleged October assault the suspect is expected to face charges stemming from Thursday's incident.
"It was great work by our whole team from road patrol to detectives to special units like SWAT," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "They utilized great containment, evacuation of nearby residents, technology, including an indoor drone, to locate where the suspect was hiding in an attic."
Bouchard said "solid negotiating tactics" helped authorities end the situation with no injuries and bright a "dangerous person" off the street.
No further details about the alleged October assault have been disclosed.
The suspect has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of felonious assault as well as several misdemeanors.
