DAYTON — A Columbus homicide suspect in custody has been identified following an hours-long SWAT standoff in Dayton that ended late Wednesday night.
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Around 2:30 p.m., Dayton Police were informed by the Columbus Police Department that a homicide suspect from their city was in the 2000 block of Catalpa Drive, Major Christopher Malson, Dayton Police Department, said Wednesday night.
Dayton officers and detectives arrived on the scene and confirmed that the suspect was inside the apartment.
Columbus police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Sir Robert Divon Anthony Martin-Sydnor.
Sydnor was wanted by Columbus police for a shooting that took place on June 9 that killed 32-year-old Rapheal Jones, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
Columbus police were called to respond to a report of a shooting in the 1900 block of Denune Avenue. Upon arrival, Jones was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to Grant Medical Center in critical condition where he died a little over an hour later.
According to Columbus police, Sydnor and Jones were arguing when the shooting happened.
Malson said Sydnor barricaded himself and a 73-year-old man inside the apartment on Catalpa Drive.
“He was holding a 73-year-old male, who was a residence of the apartment, as a hostage inside and would not let that individual leave,” he said. “(The suspect) barricaded the interior of the apartment to where that individual could not leave on this own.”
>>UPDATE: Columbus homicide suspect in custody after hours-long standoff ends in Dayton
Montgomery County SWAT, Dayton SWAT, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and U.S. Marshals were all called to the scene to help get the suspect out of the apartment safely.
Agencies continued to communicate with the suspect in multiple ways including on the phone and through social media until he surrendered around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
“He was on Facebook Live almost the whole time talking,” said Malson. “Not only to us through Facebook messenger and as well as on the phone, but also to whoever was watching on his Facebook Live. That’s pretty common nowadays when we have these situations.”
The 73-year-old man was let out of the apartment and safe but receiving medical treatment due to the stress of the situation, Malson said.
Neighbors spent hours anxiously waiting and hoping for a peaceful resolution.
“It’s unreal, it was unreal,” Lonnie Ross, Jr, told News Center 7. “It was so many officers. They were standing behind their trucks and man, it’s crazy.”
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Malson said Sydnor had connections to people who lived in the neighborhood but are not related to the suspect.
He will be turned over to Columbus police where he will face the original homicide charges he was wanted on.
Sydnor will also likely face charges in Dayton in connection to the standoff as well, Malson said. Those charges have not been approved yet.
“This arrest is the result of the teamwork and collaboration between the United States Marshals Service and its law enforcement partners across the state. In this case, our investigators were able to determine the location of this dangerous fugitive and then turn over the scene to the SWAT professionals who were able to safely take him into custody,” said Michael D. Black, United States Marshal, Southern District of Ohio.
We are working to learn more about the homicide investigation and the charges he faces in Dayton.