FBI raid ends multi-day hostage standoff in Denton County; Woman rescued, suspect in custody
Hostages safe after 30 hour police standoff in Aubrey
A suspect is in custody and the women he held hostage are now safe after a nearly 30 hour standoff with police in Aubrey ended early Wednesday morning. FOX 4's Steven Dial has more.
AUBREY, Texas - A woman is recovering following a multi-day hostage standoff in Denton County that ended when federal agents stormed the home overnight.
Woman rescued from hostage situation
What we know:
FBI agents used flash bangs to breach the home around 1 a.m. Wednesday.
The female victim was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Michael Miller, was taken into custody without further incident. He is now in the Denton County jail facing several charges including kidnapping, aggravated assault, and unlawful restraint.
Records show Miller was put in jail in March for an aggravated assault incident that happened last December. He was released from jail earlier this month.
Michael Miller (Denton County jail)
What they're saying:
People living in the neighborhood described what they saw throughout the standoff.
"Monday night they knocked on our door and told us to turn the lights off. Then about 1 a.m. I saw some dude laying on my car with a sniper," said Vance Walker, who lives nearby.
"I got home from work Monday night and I saw the cop cars, obviously didn't know what. Woke up and saw 15-16 cops in the morning over here, guys armored up," added Nick Farrell, who lives down the street.
"It's a bit crazy knowing it's that close to me. Why would someone want to do that?" Walker said.
The neighbors said their power was cut when officers moved in to arrest Miller. They heard flash bangs and saw a lot of lights.
Dig deeper:
The FBI confirmed a hostage rescue team was sent from Virginia to help resolve the situation peacefully.
No details were shared about why this specific team was used, but a former FBI agent told FOX 4 it is an elate tactical team used to make difficult rescues. The retired agent compared them to the Navy's SEAL Team 6.
FBI Director Kash Patel congratulated police and his hostage rescue team for preventing a tragedy.
FBI, SWAT negotiate standoff
The backstory:
The incident began late Monday night when a man called 911 claiming he was holding two females hostage at gunpoint. Aubrey police responded to the residence on Thoroughbred Drive in Providence Village, located about 10 miles east of Denton.
Officers established a perimeter and attempted to negotiate with the man, who reportedly threatened to harm the hostages if police approached.
A young girl was released safely from the home around 1 a.m. Tuesday. However, police said information provided by the girl prompted them to request additional resources from the McKinney Police Department and the FBI.
Victim's family speaks out
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Nearly 24 hours since Denton County hostage situation began
It's been nearly an entire day since a hostage situation involving a domestic dispute began in Aubrey, and the FBI and SWAT teams are still negotiating with the suspect. FOX 4's David Sentendrey has the latest.
What they're saying:
The victim’s mother told FOX 4 that the suspect is her daughter's ex-boyfriend. The victim's brother added that she had recently pressed charges against the man for a violent crime and held an active protective order.
"I couldn’t stress enough how many precautions that she needed to take because that piece of paper is just a piece of paper," the brother said. "This guy’s not a law-abiding citizen."
What we don't know:
While police characterized the standoff as a domestic dispute, they have not released a specific motive or the identities of those involved.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Aubrey Police Department.