A convicted murderer hiding in an attic in Massachusetts was arrested Tuesday by a SWAT team.
Officers were informed around 8:40 p.m. that Gino Gaillardetz, a convicted murderer who violated his parole, was staying at a home in Onset, Massachusetts, according to a news release on Facebook from the Wareham Police Department, WHDH reported.
Gaillardetz, 56, reportedly said he was not going to be taken back to jail, according to police. (RELATED: REPORT: Man Fatally Shoots 10-Year-Old Son And Himself In Suspected Murder-Suicide)
Police: Convicted murderer under investigation for recent crime arrested after hiding in attic in Onset https://t.co/Og5cvaSYE6
— 7News Boston WHDH (@7News) December 23, 2020
Authorities said they were unable to safely access the area where Gaillardetz was hiding, so off-duty officers had to be called. The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT team, along with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, Massachusetts State Police, and a command unit from the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, also responded to assist Wareham police.
Neighboring homes were evacuated to allow authorities to be able to safely remove Gaillardetz from the home, according to WHDH.
After a failed attempt at an escape by striking the attic exhaust fan, the suspect eventually appeared in the kitchen of the home and was arrested, according to the release.
“This potentially dangerous situation involving a convicted murderer was resolved safely by the professionalism and cooperation of several law enforcement agencies,” said Wareham Police Chief John Walcek. “This was a team effort, and our off-duty lieutenants, sergeants, officers, detectives, and juvenile detective who responded from home to assist is typical of the dedication of personnel at the WPD. In addition, our amazing communications officers not only coordinated incoming resources, they continued to handle regular shift related calls.”
A protective sweep of the property was conducted by the SWAT team to make sure there were no other suspects or weapons in the home, the local outlet reported.