SC Man Holds Woman, 3 Kids Hostage for Hours Before Surrendering

A South Carolina man was arrested after a standoff in which he held a woman and three young children, one of them an infant, hostage for three hours Wednesday night.

Gaffney Police said a woman called 911 at about 8:30 p.m. and put the phone down, WYFF reported. Dispatchers relayed the argument they heard over the phone to responding officers, WHNS reported.

The officers quickly learned that the man, later identified as Ryan Anthony Lyles, had a gun and was threatening the woman and children.

When police arrived on the scene, Lyles refused to come out or allow the others to leave, WYFF said. Gaffney Police called in a SWAT team and hostage negotiator from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

The negotiator spoke with Lyles through the front window of the home, and at about 11:30 p.m., he let the victims leave and was arrested.

Police said Lyles had several domestic violence and weapons charges on his record.

At a bond hearing on Thursday, an official with the solicitor’s office said that Lyles pointed the gun at one of the hostages and pulled the trigger at one point, but it misfired, according to WHNS.

Lyles is charged with domestic violence, three counts of kidnapping, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A judge denied bond.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Ryan Anthony Lyles/Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office]