Saturday stand-off ends with arrest of Nevada man

Nevada Daily Mail

A two-hour stand-off Saturday evening with an armed man hiding in a residence in the 300 block of East Grand Street, Nevada ended with the arrest of 29-year-old David V. Celaya on existing warrants relating to a July domestic assault charge as well as felony unlawful use of a weapon and the misdemeanors of first degree trespassing and resisting arrest.

The drama began to unfold at 5:45 p.m., when officers, aware that Celaya was wanted in connection with the July domestic incident, responded to a report of an intoxicated man, who had entered the home unlawfully, may have had a handgun and was reportedly looking for his estranged girlfriend.

Spotting the officers as they responded, Celaya tried to escape through two exits of the residence to no avail, then locked himself inside and refused to communicate with officers.

According to a press release from the Nevada Police Department, officers "secured a perimeter," and, according to witnesses, evacuating some of the residents who lived nearby. A trained police negotiator tried to contact Celaya but could elicit no response.

Meanwhile, police determined the apartment's tenant was in a safe location; and after about two hours with no communication with the suspect, police grew concerned that he may have found another exit or harmed himself. So, with the permission of the tenant, police entered the residence and discovered Celaya in a crawl space under the home and arrested him without further incident.

A loaded, 9mm handgun also was found in the crawl space.

Members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Vernon County Sheriff's Office and the Vernon County Ambulance District also assisted in the "peaceful resolution," the press release noted.