Leesburg Hostage Situation Ends With No Fatalities

Gunman Gave Himself Up, Police Say

A couple in their 80s who were held hostage for hours in their Leesburg home were freed last night, and the gunman who had held them gave himself up, authorities said.

The woman was released about 9 p.m., and her husband was apparently found inside the home after the gunman surrendered without incident about 9:50 p.m., authorities said.

"We couldn't hope for a better resolution," said Officer Chris Jones, a Leesburg police spokesman. "This is a fantastic job by our officers."

Police said the gunman, identified as William Spencer, 49, of Baltimore, had held the couple through a long afternoon and well into the evening after fleeing a botched jewelry store robbery.

Neighbors identified the hostages as Robert P. Belote, 83, a retired press operator at The Washington Post, and his wife, Frances W. Belote, 82, a former real estate agent.

Frances Belote apparently was permitted to walk out the door of the house, authorities said. It was not clear where in the house the man was found.

Robert Belote had reportedly suffered injuries that were described as not life-threatening. It was not clear how they were inflicted. The woman appeared to be unharmed, according to preliminary official accounts.

Jones said the ordeal, in a house on a cul-de-sac near the downtown retail district, was brought to an end as a result of the rapport developed between the gunman and negotiators. The gunman, according to officials, singled out one of the police negotiators and said he wished to surrender only to him.

In addition, authorities said, the two hostages aided in resolving the matter. Leesburg Police Chief Joseph R. Price credited them with convincing the gunman that his best choice lay in giving himself up.

During the more than seven hours that the standoff went on, law enforcement officers filled the neighborhood.

Several dozen Virginia state troopers, Leesburg police officers and Loudoun County sheriff's deputies, many clad in black tactical gear, maintained positions around the house on Valley View Avenue SW as a police negotiator spoke with the suspect by telephone, urging him to give up.

Jones said police sent a phone into the house. He said authorities also maneuvered a robotic, remote-controlled camera close to the house, hoping to get a look inside and determine where the gunman and hostages were.