Bail Set at $20,000 for Man Accused in "Standoff"

Today, (Sunday) an Anchorage man -- whose home was surrounded by a SWAT team on Saturday -- told a judge that he was was not at the scene of the stand-off when police arrived.

24-year-old Christopher Jay finally surrendered to authorities -- in front of the home on Mirage Circle -- late Saturday after he learned that police were looking for him. He says he voluntarily travelled to the scene -- from another location -- and turned himself in.

It was the end to a long day, a day which apparently began with a violent incident in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday. 

That's when Jay's girlfriend, whom court documents identify only as Crystal Bijak, reported that the couple had been out drinking and ultimately got into an argument.

Bijak told police that Jay during the course of the argument, Jay put her into a "choke hold which made it difficult to breathe."

An anchorage police officer saw "a scratch on the woman's neck and some red dots at the center of it".

Authorities say that Jay then went to see his sister Melissa at the house on Mirage Circle -- the place that the SWAT team ultimately converged upon later that day.

At the house, he allegedly got into an argument with his sister, too.

Court documents say that during their disagreement, Jay put Melissa into a headlock, "thereby making it difficult for her to breathe." The documents also say, "Melissa reported that when she wanted to leave Christopher's house and get in her car, he followed her. He had a knife in his hand, which scared her. Once Melissa was inside her car, Christopher beat on the car and yelled at her."

On Sunday afternoon, Jay was arraigned on two felony counts for those incidents. In theory, he could get a maximum of 10 years on the most serious felony charge. But because he has no prior felony convictions, it is more likely that he would get 1 year in prison, if convicted of the Saturday assaults.

Today, (Sunday) by phone-link in Anchorage Jail Court, Jay's girlfriend asked the judge for leniency for the suspect.

"Well first of all", Bijak told the court, "he had been drinking that night and he was locked out", she said. Then she added,  "I think that that should be taken into consideration."

But Judge Carmen Clark politely interrupted Bijack, saying this was not a sentencing hearing. Clark said the main purpose of the arraignment was finding bail terms that allowed Bijak to feel safe in light of the alleged assault on her.

In the end, Judge Clark ruled that Jay must come up with $20,000 bail -- and find some sort of third party capable of supervising him.

As of Sunday night, Christopher Jay had not yet met the terms of bail.

His next court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.