High Bond For Camby Standoff Suspect

The man accused of sexually assaulting a sister of New York Knicks star Marcus Camby and holding her and two other family members hostage was ordered held on $1.5 million bond.

Troy Crooms, 28, was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary and possession of a weapon following Monday's eight-hour standoff at Camby's mother's home. Authorities said little about a motive but did say Crooms was known to the family.

Crooms, who received a court-appointed defense attorney, did not speak and entered no plea during Tuesday's brief court appearance.

Assistant State's Attorney Adam Scott had urged Superior Court Judge Jorge Simon to imposed high bail, saying, "What we have here is a convicted felon, a sex offender, who is facing over 95 years in jail."

Crooms is listed on the state's database of sex offenders because of a 1993 conviction. He also has been convicted of forgery, narcotics possession and other crimes.

South Windsor police say Crooms broke into the Camby home sometime before 3:30 a.m. Monday. He sexually assaulted one of Camby's sisters, and the other sister awoke and called police, department spokesman Sgt. Matthew Reed said.

When police arrived, they found Crooms holding a kitchen knife to the throat of one sister, Reed said. The officers backed off when Crooms demanded, taking Camby's mother with them. The second sister escaped through a second-floor window at the back of the house after police put up a ladder, Reed said.

The captor's only demand was to speak with Camby, Reed said. The Knicks center came to the scene about 8 a.m. and stood in the driveway so that those in the house could see him, but he did not speak to Crooms. Crooms surrendered peacefully just after 11 a.m.

Rick Kaplan, Camby's business manager, described him as distraught Monday night, saying he is a father figure to his sisters. "Just looking at him, you can just see his personal anguish," Kaplan said.

Camby bought the home for his mother in 1996 for $462,000.

By RON ZAPATA
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