Pocono News Section

Alleged rape leads to standoff

Alleged rape leads to standoff - Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 5:09PM EST

Tuesday, Aug 5, 2008 @ 05:09pm EST

An apparent kidnapping and rape leads to a swat team standoff.

It all happened this morning in Monroe County .

The suspected motel gunman is now behind bars.

Derek Bengtsson of East Stroudsburg was arrested at Stroudsburg's Budget Host Inn.

It took a swat team to arrest him.

Neighbor Scott Price saw it from across the street.

Price says, “We aren't in suburbia anymore. It's kind of sad. I've lived here all my life and it's progressed here to the point where there's more crime."

Just after one Tuesday morning, police say Bengtsson kidnapped a 14 year old girl at gunpoint.

That happened at her Middle Smithfield township home.

Police say he drove the girl to the Budget Host Inn, where he sexually assaulted her.

She escaped and called police.

Ottmar Thomas of Stroudsburg says, "There was more police here than i thought was in Monroe County . We couldn't tell what was going on because there was no way of finding out. So we just sat down on the porch and they came and chase us in the house told us to get out of the way."

When Stroud Area Regional Police showed up, Bengtsson started shooting at them.

No one was hit, but one officer got trapped in the bathroom.

That's when the swat team was called in, leading to his arrest.

Neighbors on Lenox Street are just happy the whole thing's over.

Eman Shahine of Stroudsburg says, "I'm scared, yeah. To see the troops here, hold the gun around the earea, yeah. It's very bad."

And as the investigation continues, police tape surrounds the hotel.

A reminder of the hectic scene that took place.