Man surrenders after barricading himself in crawlspace in Piqua

PIQUA — UPDATE @ 1:40 p.m. (Dec. 16):

A homeless man arrested over the weekend Saturday after a standoff at a vacant house in Piqua, went before a judge Tuesday morning in Miami County.

Bond for 36-year-old Philip Howard was set at $45,000.

He was charged with aggravated robbery, criminal trespassing and obstructing official business. Police said Howard barricaded himself inside house in the 500 block of Cleveland Street in Piqua.

UPDATE @ 4:18 p.m. (Dec. 14): A man is in custody on outstanding warrants after barricading himself in a vacant house in the 500 block of Cleveland Street, Piqua police Lt. William Weaver said.

Philip Howard, 36, was arrested on existing charges of aggravated robbery and felonious assault.

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Weaver said that police received a report at 12:54 p.m. Saturday that a man had broken into a vacant house and was selling drugs from it.

Officers knocked on the door, but the man inside did not answer and instead tried to climb out a second story window, where he was seen and identified by police. He considered jumping, but went back inside, police said.

The homeowner confirmed that the house was supposed to be vacant.

When officers entered the house, the front door was unlocked.

Howard had barricaded himself in a basement crawlspace, Weaver said, and retrieved a sawed-off shotgun. Police then called for a tactical response team to assist.

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Howard eventually gave himself up around 3:20 p.m., but not before he was pepper sprayed at one point when Weaver said he tried to come up from the basement through a vent.

Once he was in custody, Howard was taken to a local hospital to be checked out before he was booked into the Miami County Jail on suspicion of aggravated robbery, criminal trespassing and obstructing official business.

Howard is being held on $20,000 bond and is awaiting arraignment in Miami County Municipal Court.

INITIAL REPORT

A tactical response team and Piqua police responded to a house in the 500 block of Cleveland Street, according to Miami County dispatch records.

We are working to learn more information, and will update this story as we receive more.