Woman slain in hostage situation

Officers of the Toledo Police Department and a sniper on the grass keep their eyes on an apartment at Oak Hill Apartments on Holland-Sylvania Road in which a man kept authorities at bay for four hours. Authorities found a woman dead in the apartment after he surrendered.

A man surrendered to police last night about four hours after claiming to have explosives rigged to a door while holding a woman hostage at the Oak Hill Apartments, 2425 South Holland-Sylvania Rd., in South Toledo, police said.

The man walked out of Apartment 269 in the complex between Perrysburg-Holland and Garden roads about 9:15 p.m. and was taken into custody.

Moments later, authorities found the woman shot to death inside the apartment.

The names of the man and the woman were not available last night.

The incident began about

5 p.m. on a report of a boyfriend-girlfriend domestic disorder, police said.

The woman told a 911 operator that she was being held against her will in the apartment.

The man apparently became upset when the woman said she was leaving him, police said.

Over the course of the next few hours, a police negotiator remained in contact with the man via telephone.

The negotiator said the man, who had a gun, would become "very agitated" whenever he was asked about the woman.

About 8:30 p.m., police said the man was talking about the possibility of committing suicide.

Thirty minutes later, the man told the negotiator he was moving toward the door, but he changed his mind and did not come out.

Fifteen minutes later, he surrendered.

After arriving at the scene, police closed Holland-Sylvania between Perrysburg-Holland and Garden, evacuated residents of adjoining apartments, and stationed snipers on a carport and a grassy area, both of which were good vantage points from which to watch the ground-floor apartment in the three-story structure.

Numerous police officers, including members of the bomb squad, were at the scene as well as Toledo, Holland, and Springfield Township rescue personnel.

Residents and others watched the activity from areas near the apartment.

Dean Fawaz, who lives in a third-floor apartment, said he was told by police about 6 p.m. to leave the building.

"They didn't tell us anything about a bomb threat, but look at all that," he said, pointing to the bomb squad vehicles.

"It's really scary."

"I never thought he would have put us in this situation," Mr. Fawaz said of the man he described as a friendly neighbor who took meticulous care of his two cars.

But he added that it also was frustrating.

Police did not allow the evacuated residents to leave the area, although some had planned activities for the evening.

That's because many of the residents' vehicles were parked in the area police secured to deal with the situation.

Contact Jane Schmucker at:

jschmucker@theblade.com

or 419-724-6050.