ISSAQUAH, Wash — A body was recovered from an Issaquah home that caught fire after an hours-long hostage situation over the weekend. The body is believed to be that of the suspect.
Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, police said a 28-year-old man armed with a handgun entered his sister's home on the 5200 block of Isola Place Northwest.
The man took his sister, her boyfriend, and her 8-year-old and 5-year-old children hostage.
After about five and a half hours of negotiations, the children and the resident's fiancé were rescued by a SWAT team that breached the front door. They were not physically hurt.
The man's sister was released 10 hours later at 10:25 a.m. on Sunday. Washington State Patrol (WSP) believes the children and the boyfriend were in a different room than the suspect's sister, allowing them to be rescued first.
Around 12:50 p.m., crews received reports of a fire in the home. It's unknown if the suspect started the fire. SWAT team members deployed gas inside the home, but it is unknown if that gas could have sparked a fire.
The home is a total loss. WSP said they believed that the suspect was in the home at the time of the fire.
"It is sad. it is just really, really sad," said neighbor Noel Nelson. "I feel bad for his sister. I feel bad for the boyfriend. My heart really goes out to those kids."
WSP Trooper Rick Johnson said Monday afternoon that investigators found human remains inside the house. Johnson said the remains are believed to be of the suspect who had barricaded himself inside the house over the weekend.
"The negotiators did everything that they could possibly to do to bring this to a peaceful resolution without loss of life, and unfortunately, in this situation, it did not end that way," said Trooper Rick Johnson.