UPDATE 3:15 p.m.--
Santiago has been arrested after several hours.
Original Story | A possibly armed man has barricaded himself in a home after reportedly punching his girlfriend in the face Tuesday night.
The initial call came in at about 11:00 p.m. when Lakeland Police Department responded to a domestic violence report at Westlake Apartments.
The victim said her boyfriend, Nelson Santiago, punched her in the face during an argument then fled the apartment. Witnesses say he had a gun at the time.
Police searched for about an hour but could not locate Santiago.
About 30 minutes later he returned. First responders saw him inside and set up a perimeter, considering him armed and dangerous.
After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to convince him to surrender peacefully, SWAT and Negotiation teams were activated. Officers have also deployed chemical agents into the apartment.
Santiago is also a wanted for questioning in an aggravated assault case from Dec. 26, and has an extensive criminal history.
Santiago is the only one in the house at this time, and it is unclear whether or not he is still armed.
This is a developing story, check abcactionnews.com for further updates.
