HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - After an hours-long standoff that went well into the night Tuesday, a barricaded subject who was experiencing a mental crisis surrendered to police.
Authorities arrived at the scene at the Alture Westland complex, located at 1950 W. 49th St.
7Skyforce hovered over the scene as officers surrounded the area.
According to officials, the subject was home alone. Hialeah’s SWAT team and Crisis Negotiation Team were at the scene in an effort to make contact with the individual.
Officers kept a spotlight on the apartment of the building as the subject walked up to the sliding glass door and wrote something on it. He then stepped out onto the balcony a few times throughout the evening but then walked back inside without saying a word.
Later on through the night, police placed an inflatable fixture on the ground and the subject jumped from a balcony on the fourth floor of the complex. He was assisted by officers and appeared OK.
“My boyfriend, he was leaving the garage at 2 p.m to go to school, and he basically saw a bunch of cops arriving,” Yoenis Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez was one of the people who couldn’t get home and was standing and watched police officers for hours as they attempted to get the man to safely surrender.
“I feel very sad, very sad for him because I do believe mental health has gone up, especially in the United States of America,” she said. “I do hope it ends peacefully, especially that he doesn’t harm anyone right now inside the of the complex area, but let’s hope for the best.”
The subject was identified as 25-year-old Bryan Joseph Villafane. He has since been Baker Acted.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.