A Fulton man faces three charges after Cayuga County sheriff's deputies said they evacuated children from a Town of Ira home during a domestic violence investigation and later found him on a nearby road.
The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said deputies arrested William Harris Jr., 42, at about 8 a.m. Thursday on charges of third-degree menacing, second-degree harassment and attempted third-degree assault.
Deputies responded to an Ira address at about 8:27 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a report that a woman may have been injured during an argument and that a man was acting erratically. The Sheriff's Office said Harris went inside the home and secured the door when deputies arrived.
Investigators said Harris might have had a handgun, prompting deputies to evacuate people still inside, including children. New York State Police helped establish a perimeter while the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office Tactical Response Unit and Auburn Police Department Emergency Response Team prepared to enter the home.
The Sheriff's Office said Harris was not inside when officers entered and was believed to have left shortly after deputies arrived. Deputies searching nearby wooded areas found him on a road not far from the home and took him into custody.
Harris was arraigned in Cayuga County centralized arraignment court on the local charges. The Sheriff's Office said he was also being held at the Cayuga County Jail on a fugitive warrant connected to felony domestic-related charges in Florida while awaiting extradition.
The Ira Fire Department, Cayuga County Emergency Management, Cayuga County E-911 and CIMVAC Ambulance also assisted. Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Office at 315-253-1222 or submit an anonymous tip through the county's website or SaferWatch app.
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