Three Men Arrested Following Hours-Long Hostage Situation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence Police arrested three people Tuesday morning following an hours-long hostage standoff on Norwich Avenue.

Police say they received a report of an armed home invasion around 1:15 a.m. Tuesday from a caller later identified as a 22-year-old who escaped the house through a window. Officers surrounded the house and evacuated nearby neighbors, and both the SWAT team and crisis negotiators were on scene.

The negotiators were able to speak with the suspects, and after several hours the first hostage, an adult woman, was freed. A few hours later, an eight-year-old boy was also released from the house. The third and final family member, an adult man, was set free just before 9 a.m.

Once all the family members were safely out, police stormed the house and arrested the three male suspects.

No injuries were reported over the course of the morning. Police say the incident is still under investigation.

Robert L. Bailey Elementary School, less than a mile away on Gordon Avenue, is closed Tuesday due to its proximity to the police investigation. All after-school activities have been canceled. No other Providence schools are closed.