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Philadelphia murder suspect found in Norfolk home cubby-hole above closet

Posted at 5:51 PM, Jan 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-17 23:35:16-05

NORFOLK, Va. - On Tuesday U.S. Marshals and Norfolk police announced they located a murder suspect wanted from Philadelphia in a Norfolk home.

Authorities say there was a tense standoff as 29-year-old Karl Howard was arrested at the house.

Howard was wanted in connection to a Philadelphia murder that occurred in September of 2016.

An arrest warrant for murder and related charges was issued on September 23, 2016.

karl-howard-in-custody

Courtesy of U.S. Marshals

U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia contacted the Marshals in Norfolk with information that Howard was hiding out in Hampton Roads.

Around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, authorities went to an address on the 200 block of Maycox Avenue where Howard was believed to be residing.

After Marshals knocked and ordered Howard to come to the front door, a rear door to the residence opened. Howard then appeared in the doorway and saw multiple officers around the back door.

Howard then quickly slammed the door. Multiple other occupants of the house were evacuated, and Howard refused to depart the residence, according to authorities.

A Norfolk canine unit helped Marshals and Norfolk detectives as they worked to locate Howard inside of the house.

Within minutes, Howard was found curled up in a cubby-hole above a closet in a bedroom. Howard then provided a fake name, investigators said.

"You think everything`s wonderful and next thing you know you see an army come up in your yard...well their yard...with guns drawn and bulletproof vests and all that," said neighbor Eddie Mihilasky. "I`m just glad they were able to take him without any confrontation."

Howard will be held at the Norfolk City Jail while awaiting return to Philadelphia.