Man charged in Palm Bay standoff denied bond

PALM BAY, Fla. — A Palm Bay man accused of barricading himself in his home with his live-in girlfriend and holding cops at bay for three hours faced a judge on Tuesday.

In court, Channel 9 learned 30-year-old Emmanuel Lopez was already out on bond on a domestic violence charge when the standoff happened.

A judge did not give Lopez bond on Tuesday, saying he feared for Lopez's girlfriend's safety.

Despite a no contact order, police were called to the couple's Medea Avenue home on Monday after a neighbor heard an early morning commotion.

"My husband just said he looked out the window and he's dragging his wife out the house," the 911 caller said. "He's beating her up. Can you please hurry?"

Lopez eventually surrendered to police, who arrested him on charge of domestic violence battery.

"Once they executed that search warrant, they located some drugs and drug paraphernalia and some guns and rifles, about nine of them," said Yvonne Martinez of the Palm Bay Police Department.

Palm Bay's victim's services unit is helping Lopez's girlfriend, who had to be hospitalized. The unit provides everything from rides to the courthouse to counseling referrals.

WFTV