A pregnant woman who was held hostage in Biloxi for 19 hours is safe, and the armed man responsible is in custody.
Local law enforcement officials report that multiple agencies were involved in a standoff at Oasis Apartments on Rodenberg Avenue. The standoff began around 3 p.m. on Thursday.
When officers had visual evidence that the woman and the suspect were in separate rooms, they took action, using explosives to breach the doors of the apartment to get in just after 10 a.m. on Friday, police report.
The man responsible for the standoff, Joshua Drake Ervin, was charged with kidnapping and domestic assault with a $500,000 bond issued by Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain. He was then taken to be held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center.
The unidentified woman, who lived in the apartment with the unidentified suspect, was transported to a local hospital but didn’t appear to have any injuries. According to police, she’s about 6 to 8 months along in her pregnancy.