Hostage Situation In Tulsa Ends With 2 Men In Custody

A wanted man barricaded himself in a motel room just as bail enforcement agents were about to arrest him. Tulsa Police officers were called in to help arrest Richard Moya.

The agents were trying to arrest Moya for felony warrants, but they say he fought them off, then locked himself in the room. Police arrested him and another man and found a machete in the room.

Agents say they got a tip that Moya was staying at the motel, so they went to arrest him. They say he locked himself in the bathroom and then ran out in a wet shower curtain, began fighting with agents, then got loose and locked the door.

"He was probably on some methamphetamines or PCP at the time,” said Rick Juarez with Oklahoma Bail Enforcement.

Agents learned Moya had a knife and that there was another man inside the room as well. Tulsa Police were then called in to help.

"At that time, they are putting everyone's safety in jeopardy. We want to get everybody safe. There are other people in the rooms next to him,” said Juarez.

Police were eventually able to talk Moya and the other man out of the room.

"Any time there is a weapon, we don't want to force the issue and get into a situation where we have to use force when we don't need to. Weapons can obviously kill police officers and kill bystanders, I mean even knives can, “ said Lieutenant Joshua Showman with Tulsa Police. “One of the subjects is saying he was held against his will, but he also has felony warrants and is going to jail so we are not sure if that was an attempt to cover or not."

Records show Moya was on a deferred sentence from a 2019 conviction of concealing stolen property, but, a warrant was issued for him because prosecutors say he wasn't following the rules, plus he got charged with a new burglary case earlier this year.

Police say the other man, Travis Mouse, had warrants for drugs and stolen property.