Woman tied up for hours in Tippecanoe County home

DAYTON, Ind. (WLFI) – Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested the man who they said was involved in a four-hour standoff.

Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported domestic dispute in the 600 block of Harrison Circle in Dayton Thursday around 7:40 p.m. When deputies arrived, they set up a perimeter around the home.

A female that was in the home told deputies she had been tied up and held her against her will for 4½ hours. She was able to escape through a window and get help from a neighbor.

Deputies said the suspect, 58-year-old Donald F. Wilcox, barricaded himself inside his bedroom. Deputies said they saw Wilcox with a large butcher knife before he went into the room.

After several hours of failed negotiation attempts with detectives and the Tippecanoe County Special Response Team, officers were able to enter the home and found Wilcox inside a bedroom closet.

One neighbor told WLFI-TV he’s never seen anything like this in Dayton.

“It makes me pretty scared for people that thought they lived in a good community to see this type of thing happen,” Robert Smith said.

Wilcox surrendered and was taken into custody. He faces preliminary charges of criminal confinement using a deadly weapon, intimidation with a deadly weapon and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.