ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A SWAT standoff forced officials to evacuate several Orange County apartments Thursday, but the suspect managed to escape.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said Jude Nalis, 21, was not in the unit at the Pointe Vista Apartments when they finally entered.
Deputies said the incident began around 6:50 p.m. when Nalis was seen making an illegal drug deal near Americana Boulevard and South Texas Avenue.
Authorities said deputies followed the suspect, identified as Nalis, to the Pointe Vista Apartments and tried to arrest him. Nalis ran from deputies and entered an occupied apartment through a window, leading to the standoff, officials said.
Deputies evacuated nearby apartments and obtained a search warrant, but Nalis was not in the home when SWAT team members entered hours later.
Officials said Nalis has an extensive violent criminal history, including firearms and narcotics charges.
Anyone with information about Nalis' whereabouts is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.
This is a developing story. We will update this story as more information becomes available.