Deputies storm apartment after hours-long standoff, find man passed out upstairs, officials say

HOUSTON – Harris County deputies that responded to a report of a man beating his wife and threatening to set an apartment on fire stormed the building after an hours-long standoff and found the man passed out upstairs while the kitchen stove was on, officials said.

The man, Aaron Guillory, 35, was taken into custody Sunday morning and transported to an area hospital to receive treatment for excessive drinking, HCSO Lt. Paul Bruce said. Guillory is charged with arson, officials said.

The incident began just after midnight Sunday. Officials responded to reports of a family disturbance at an apartment complex located in the 14000 block of Empanada Drive, near Pavilion Drive. Upon arrival, they learned the man, who was out on bond for family assault, beat a woman before barricading himself in an apartment, according to officials. The woman escaped before the man shut himself inside, initiating a nearly 5-hour standoff, Bruce said.

Throughout the morning, the SWAT team spoke with the man through a door and attempted to convince him to exit his apartment. Ultimately, the standoff ended peacefully around 5 a.m. when officers broke down the front door, stormed the apartment and discovered the man passed out upstairs, Bruce said.

While barricaded inside, the man trashed the apartment. During the standoff, the SWAT team observed some smoke, according to investigators. Once inside, officials found combustible material smoldering on the stove, which was still on, Bruce said.


About the Author:

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.