Miami Beach police took a woman suspect into custody this morning, ending tense, 3 ?-hour standoff that began with a call about a possible burglary in progress on one of the luxury yachts docked across from the Fontainebleau Hilton hotel.
A Beach police SWAT team and later a K-9 dog boarded the 76-foot yacht Starr and made the capture around 11:34 a.m.
The woman was about five feet tall and dressed all in black, including a stocking cap. No further details were immediately available.
Department spokesman Bobby Hernandez said police received a call around 8 a.m. from the unidentified captain of the Starr, who said he spotted a candle burning inside the boat and believed someone was inside.
''There were several high-powered rifles in the boat,'' Hernandez said.
Police brought in hostage negotiators and a SWAT team, and sealed off the Intracoastal Waterway. A police boat took up a position near the Starr while a police helicopter hovered overhead. On the ground, officers prevented traffic from moving along that stretch of Collins Avenue.
Lisa Cole, publicist for the Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins, said the hotel's security officers closed the main entrance a little after 8 a.m as police swarmed the street outside.
''Our security team saw that something was going on and closed the doors,'' Cole said. ``We didn't want our guests walking out into the middle of that.
``We are working with police to make sure our guests can get in and out at this time.''
Police officers are allowing guests to enter and exit the hotel from the south entrance, said Cole.
Cole said the Starr is docked at the Fontainebleau's marina. Hotel guests can rent dock space, but Cole said she did not immediately have a name to go with the boat.
The 920-room hotel is one the city's largest and oldest hotels.
