by ANDY SEVILLA
An alleged barricaded home intruder in the Roy Creek Trail area in Dripping Springs caused the neighborhood to lock down for about seven hours on Sunday after authorities sent out an alert asking residents to remain indoors.
Hays County Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a residence in the 1000 block of Roy Creek Trail for a “suspicious circumstances” call, after a resident arrived to his home and found items missing and it appeared that someone had barricaded several doors of the home, officials said. The resident left to call police and observed a man standing in an upstairs window.
The Hays County Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team and the Hays County Crisis Negotiations Team were called out and after numerous failed attempts to make contact with the man believed to be barricaded inside, SWAT made entry into the home only to find it unoccupied.
Officials said the perpetrator in this case might have fled the home before deputies arrived on scene. As of Tuesday, nobody had been injured or arrested in the case and the investigation is ongoing.
The sheriff’s office used the emergency notification system to inform residents that the incident had concluded and that it was okay “to return to their normal activities” at about 9 p.m.
Initially, area residents were informed of the incident and advised to remain indoors, through the emergency notification system. At the time, officials said there was not any danger to the neighborhood or residents in the area but the message to remain indoors was sent out as a “precaution.”
Sheriff’s Sergeant Phillip Taylor said the incident began at about 2 p.m. and was cleared about seven hours later. A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter assisted during the incident, and equipment from the Austin Police Department’s SWAT Team was also requested for help.
The Austin-American Statesman reported that Austin police said they were called out to the scene at about 4 p.m. after a person, possibly armed with at least two firearms, was barricaded in a Dripping Springs home.
