Chaos ensued at a Plantation hotel when police and SWAT teams responded to reports of a barricaded man last night. Raul Decasanova, 47, was arrested after holing up in the Holiday Inn Express & Suites located at 1701 N. University Dr. Plantation Police and Broward Sheriff’s Office SWAT team members worked to coax Decasanova from his hotel room, amid fears he could be armed. Local 10 News reported the door of Decasanova's hotel room was completely missing post-incident, with damage visible on nearby doors as well.
According to NBC Miami, the incident began when Plantation police received a tip that Decasanova, who had several active felony warrants, was in the area. Examination by officers pinned down his location to the hotel on North University Drive. When Decasanova refused to leave his barricaded room, the heavy police presence, including SWAT vehicles, flooded the parking lot.
Witnesses like hotel guest Jared Higgs were caught off-guard by the dramatic scene. "I came here at about 5, ran upstairs, came out the elevator on floor 3 and an officer was like right there – long-barreled gun," Higgs told Local 10 News. Nearby resident Adrian Richter described a tense encounter too: “A neighbor stopped me and was like, ‘Hey, be careful. There’s a sniper out there.’ So I kind of was like, ‘Oh, Ok. Thank you.’ And I kind of laughed it off, but as I kept walking -- not even maybe 5 seconds later -- I happened to see a cop car, lights off, two cops kneeling, and kind of ready to go with the sniper.”
Decasanova was wanted on several charges before the standoff, including tampering with his GPS ankle monitor. He faces new charges now that include resisting an officer without violence and firing a missile into a dwelling/vehicle. After a standoff, police confirmed that Decasanova was safely taken into custody. "We were completely in shock by the time that we pulled in here to find out it was the hotel where they had pulled into," said Danny Gallardo, who was visiting the hotel, in a statement obtained by NBC Miami. Decasanova remained at the Broward County Main Jail and was expected to appear in bond court.
