Amanda Bishop
NCR Publisher
A several-hour police standoff with a man barricaded inside a Callahan residence ended with the suspect’s suicide discovered Thursday morning.
A press release from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office is unclear on how long the suspect was deceased prior to law enforcement entering the home at 3 a.m. and finding his body.
The first deputies arrived at 54285 Jessica Place around 4 p.m. Wednesday, with numerous NCSO vehicles blazing into Callahan from all directions until well after 5.
The deceased, Kenneth William Presgraves, 57, allegedly called the sheriff’s office to state that his estranged wife was at the home “attempting to get him into further trouble.”
Presgraves was arrested Monday on the felony charge of illegal use of a tracking device on his estranged wife. He was also charged with a misdemeanor for cyberstalking.
According to the recent arrest report, Presgraves’ wife filed for divorce Aug. 22. Since then, she told deputies, she’s had “an increasing number of issues with her husband during the proceedings.” She reported that the husband texts her repeatedly despite her lack of response and has followed her to residences where she has stayed while attempting to avoid contact with her estranged husband.
She also told deputies that she found a tracking device inside her vehicle. The deputies took the device into evidence, per the arrest report.
Presgraves allegedly also sent videos telling her she has “a small window of time to return to the house before he burns her personal items.” He then sends a video showing “a flaming pile of items.”
Deputies met with Presgraves Monday at the marital residence, where he spoke with deputies and denied burning her items and said he “only sent the videos to invoke a response from” his estranged wife. He allegedly admitted to installing the tracking device as well.
Presgraves was arrested, then released on a $10,004 bond Tuesday with an order stating he could not have contact with his estranged wife. His first appearance paperwork stated he must wear a court-ordered GPS monitor. A no contact order was issued, requiring him to stay at least 500 feet from his estranged wife and not have any contact with her.
The two were both at the home Wednesday, resulting in the call to NCSO.
According to the NCSO press release Thursday morning, “When responding deputies attempted to explain the court-ordered restrictions, Presgraves became uncooperative. A confrontation ensued, and he retreated into the residence, barricading himself inside.”
The NCSO activated its Special Response Team and crisis negotiators. Local residents who were not home at the time of the incident were left waiting for hours as deputies attempted to coax Presgraves out of his home.
“Negotiators made multiple attempts to persuade Presgraves to comply with lawful commands and exit the home safely. During the standoff, Presgraves made several suicidal statements, including threats of ‘suicide by cop,’” the release notes.
At approximately 3 a.m. Thursday, SRT entered the home and found Presgraves with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.