Prineville man jailed after reported hostage situation

A call reporting a Prineville woman was being held against her will at a southeast Prineville duplex early Saturday led to the arrest of 34-year-old Prineville man after a call-out of Central Oregon’s SWAT Team and evacuation of nearby residents, police said.

Police received a call shortly before 1 a.m. from someone reporting a 39-year-old woman was being held against her will at a duplex in the 1200 block of southeast Second Street by a man identified as Thomas Anthony Hays, Sgt. James Peterson said. The caller also said Hays might have a firearm, Peterson added.

As a result, police called in other agencies to assist, including Crook County sheriff’s deputies, Oregon State Police, the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team (CERT) and a Bureau of Land Management K-9 unit, Peterson said.

Around 4:15 a.m., the woman came out of the duplex and reported being unharmed. She also said they were the only two people in the residence.

Around 6:20 a.m., the CERT Team found Hays in a vehicle parked in the garage, Peterson said. He was unresponsive to orders to come out and the car’s window was broken to remove him, the sergeant said.

Some neighbors were evacuated for safety reasons until the incident ended, though Peterson said no gun or other weapons were found. There also were no injuries reported.

Hays was booked into the Crook County Jail on charges of violating a restraining order (contempt of course), interfering with a police officer, second-degree disorderly conduct and possession of Oxycodone and another controlled substance.

Police thanked those affected by the incident for their cooperation. Anyone with more information can contact the case agent, Sgt. Mark Monroe, at 541-447-4168 or visit the Prineville Police Department Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/PrinevillePD/.