Sarasota County Man Arrested After Manhunt

SARASOTA, FL -- A 25-year-old Sarasota County man was taken into custody Monday morning after he allegedly pointed a gun at a woman during a domestic quarrel on Sunday and then led sheriff's deputies on a manhunt that stretched into the overnight hours.

Jeremy Neipert was charged with domestic assault with intent to commit a felony with a deadly weapon but additional charges were pending, according to the sheriff's office. The initial incident occurred around noon Sunday in the 800 block of Bacon Avenue.

Neipert was taken into custody by the tactical unit of the sheriff's office early Monday morning on Courtland Street. The sheriff's office said deputies recovered two weapons.

"According to the victim, the suspect brandished a firearm and threatened to harm both the victim as well as himself," said a spokesperson for the sheriff's office.

"The suspect also reportedly armed himself with an AR-15 rifle," the spokesperson explained. "The female victim and another male inside the home left the residence and dialed 9-1-1."

The sheriff's office called out the SWAT team, hostage negotiator, bomb squad, mobile command units and at least one helicopter.

"Over the course of more than 10 hours members of the SWAT team advanced toward the residence utilizing various tactics including the deployment of two robots," the spokesperson said. "Upon entrance into the home the suspect was not located."

Deputies searched nearby homes, commercial areas and construction sites.

"Multiple code red alerts were sent to neighbors in the area advising them to stay indoors," the spokesperson explained.

The sheriff's office said Neipert was previously arrested for possession of marijuana of more than 20 grams, possession of narcotic equipment and contempt of court for failure to appear.