Sex assault suspect arrested after ruse, standoff

LONGMONT - Police say a man has been taken into custody after a standoff at his apartment Saturday. Officers say he held two women hostage overnight and sexually assaulted both of them.

Longmont Police say the suspect is 42-year-old Jimmy Travis, an Army veteran who suffers from mental issues.

Police say the women escaped Saturday afternoon.

"They came up with a ruse and were able to convince the suspect to let them go, but there was a threat involved from the suspect," Longmont Police Commander Tim Lewis said.

The standoff happened after the women escaped at the Circle at Lake Shore apartment complex on Lake Parkway.

Police say the suspect was armed with a 9 mm handgun.

The SWAT team, Boulder County Bomb Squad and HazMat crews searched Travis's apartment after they took him into custody after a several hour standoff Saturday afternoon.

The bomb squad found a 155 mm cannon round and a grenade in the apartment on display. They believe the two items were live.

Police say the women had gone to the man's apartment voluntarily Friday night. But they tell police Travis took out a gun and forced them to perform sexual acts.

Investigators evacuated the residents of the apartment complex during the standoff.

Travis faces sex assault and kidnapping charges.