This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Police called to the scene of a west Salt Lake City domestic disturbance ended up in a prolonged SWAT standoff with a possibly armed man inside a home on Friday.
But after six hours of demands over a bullhorn to surrender, a video camera on a robot sent inside the residence on Sir Jeffrey Circle, near 600 North and Starcrest Drive (1900 West) couldn't locate the suspect. Just before noon, SWAT officers moved inside to conduct a more detailed search.
No trace of the 26-year-old suspect was found, and the case turned into a wider search for the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Pacific Islander, alleged to have assaulted his wife and her grandmother.
Salt Lake City police Detective Veronica Montoya said that a 911 call came in at 5:27 a.m. from the two women, who fled the residence after an argument with the suspect inside turned violent. The suspect reportedly has a past history of domestic violence.
The women told police the man may have a firearm. Officers cordoned off the street from 600 North to 700 North and called in SWAT.
Montoya said the man was not believed to have a working telephone, so SWAT negotiators had attempted, without success, to talk him out using the bullhorn.
There was no response from inside, so police waited for a judge to approve a search warrant. About 11:15 a.m., a robot was deployed inside the house.
"Nothing," Montoya said. "The robot didn't find a thing."
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