Boynton Beach standoff ends, three hostages freed

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.-- An overnight standoff has ended in Boynton Beach after an armed man wearing a ski mask had barricaded himself in an apartment.

Boynton Beach Police arrested 21-year-old Jean Joseph.  He will be charged with home invasion, robbery with a firearm and false imprisonment.
 
Police say the tense events began after receiving a call around 12:30 from a woman whispering on a phone. She was in a closet of her apartment at Banyan Lake south of Boynton Beach Boulevard and west of Congress Avenue. She said she was being robbed.

A SWAT team was called in to help negotiate.

"They threw a phone into the unit and were able to communicate with the suspect via text message for about fifteen minutes and then he stopped talking. Our SWAT team was able to throw flash bang gas into the apartment," said Boynton Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater.

It's believed three people were being held hostage at gunpoint. They were able to get out safely.
 
"They are being taken to our station. We will be talking to them and getting them the services and help they need. Obviously they are traumatized," Slater said.

Slater said it is believed that suspect climbed through the attic, maybe over the firewall or somehow got into another unit. She said, "As he was trying to get out via that unit he was taken into custody by our SWAT team."

Numerous units were evacuated during the incident.