Mother, four children escape apartment with armed man barricaded inside, police say

OCALA, Fla. — A mother and her four children were able to safely get out of an apartment where a man barricaded himself inside Saturday afternoon, the Ocala Police Department said.

Police went to the home at Sutton Place along the 500 block of NE 23rd Avenue around 12:31 p.m. to conduct a well-being check, since that was the residence of a previous domestic violence victim, authorities said.

No one came to the door when officers arrived, police said.

After multiple attempts, officers were able to get the mother and children removed from the apartment, police said.

The man barricaded himself inside the apartment and would not communicate with police. 
Officers believed the man was armed.

He currently has an outstanding felony warrant for aggravated domestic battery and is subject to an injunction, according to Ocala police spokeswoman Meghan Shay.

Police said he was taken into custody shortly before 6 p.m.

Cox Media Group