Fugitive holed up over 24 hours arrested by Atlantic County SWAT; neighbors breath sigh of relief

EGG HARBOR TWP. N.J. - A 24-hour standoff in an Egg Harbor Township neighborhood has ended in the capture of one of the most wanted fugitives for the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office.

The standoff began Thursday morning and lasted into Friday afternoon, leaving the community stunned.

Neighbor Gabrielle Tauscher,Toth-Gaetano remarked, "Things like this don’t happen around here, like ever. It was a little unsettling."

SWAT officers could be seen for blocks as well as the US Marshall’s Office, as they worked the scene. Investigators were on the lookout for now-captured fugitive Prentiss Baylock, one of the most sought-after fugitives out of the county.

The sheriff’s office says Baylock was wanted for multiple crimes, including child abuse, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, theft and resisting arrest.

It’s unclear how the operation got underway, but investigators managed to locate the 37-year-old at his property on Ivins Avenue, after more than 24 hours of being barricaded inside. The house partly burned down from a recent fire.

Tauscher,Toth-Gaetano stated, "I noticed there was a lot of police about 9 a.m. coming in and I said, ‘Oh no something is going down. There was like 20 police officers out. They had their SWAT, their flags, their shotguns."

Investigators with the Egg Harbor Township Police Department told FOX 29 that Baylock was taken in around 1 p.m. Friday.

Tauscher,Toth-Gaetano added, "It’ll be good to know that he’s been dealt with in whatever way they needed to."

But, as things return to somewhat normal in the tight-knit neighborhood, lots of feelings of uneasiness continue among neighbors. One who wished to remain anonymous said, "Fear gripped my heart. It was a long night. We had kids crying, because they were scared."

An ultimate sigh of relief for the community.

Investigators say Baylock was taken by ambulance for a medical evaluation before being brought to jail.