LONGMONT — SWAT teams used tear gas to flush a couple out of a Longmont home and end a five-hour standoff Sunday.
Authorities believe the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Alberto Guzman, was holding the woman who resides in the home against her will. Guzman has a criminal history, including domestic abuse and weapons charges.
He was free on bond from a previous accusation of domestic violence against the woman he held hostage Sunday, officials said.
Sgt. Tim Lewis of the Longmont Police Department said the woman had a permanent protection order against Guzman.
“He’s not supposed to be there, and we don’t know yet why he is” there, Lewis said by phone shortly before officers employed tear gas at 2:25 p.m.
Three children who live at the home were not there at the time.
The suspect and the victim have been in an “on-and-off relationship” for more than a year, said Valerie Guzman, Alberto Guzman’s sister. “We’ve been telling him to stay away from her, but he’s stupid enough to keep going back.”
Valerie Guzman said her brother was at the house because the woman asked him to come over that morning.
Authorities evacuated 15 homes nearby. Other residents were notified via reverse 911 to stay in their homes until they received an all-clear call.
“They didn’t tell us what was going on at all,” said Irene Valdez, who lives on neighboring Elizabeth Court. “Police were running through the backyard of the neighbor’s house and yelled at me to get in the house.”
Neighbors called police to the home at 9 Sherman Court about 9 a.m. when they heard loud, possibly violent argument inside the home. When police arrived, the woman would not come to the door, and the man could be seen inside but would not come to the door.
“The woman has always been cooperative . . . in the past” during domestic-violence calls to the home, Lewis said.
This was the third time in a week that Longmont’s SWAT unit was activated. About 35 SWAT officers and Boulder County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
