The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested Andrew Whitt, DOB 1/26/83, who surrendered peacefully this afternoon after assaulting a woman and barricading himself in the attic of her Sarasota home.

Deputies were called to the 5400 block of Wilkinson Road at 8:55 a.m., by a friend of the victim. Resident Wenonah Sauls had called the woman for help and told her that Whitt came to her home around 6:00 a.m., and attacked her during a fight. The friend arrived at Sauls’ house and called 911 and reported Whitt had fled up into the attic.

Responding deputies made numerous attempts to get Whitt to come out of the home. The SWAT team and negotiators were called to the scene just before 11:00 a.m., and they convinced Whitt to come out of the attic without incident just after 1:00 p.m.

Whitt is charged with False Imprisonment and Domestic Battery by Strangulation. He had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for failing to appear in court on a drug charge.