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Woman Found Dead In Chatswood Alley, Man Pulled Safely From Rooftop And Arrested

After a 12-hour stand-off, the man is now in police custody.
The man remained on the roof of an awning 26 floors high for more than half a day.
Fairfax/Wolter Peeters
The man remained on the roof of an awning 26 floors high for more than half a day.

A man who sat on the roof of a high-rise awning for more than 12 hours after a woman's body was found nearby in Sydney on Monday has been rescued by authorities and arrested by police.

The stand-off began after the woman's body was discovered around 6.30am in a street near Chatswood train station. Fairfax Media reported the woman's injuries were consistent with having fallen from a height. Police have also since confirmed she is believed to be aged in her 30s.

The man was then seen about 40 minutes later to have crawled out of a window on what is believed to be the 26th floor of the building on Brown Street and remained on an awning roof as police attempted to negotiate with him.

A crime scene was set up while the man perched outside the apartment's gym, and a Korean translator was reportedly called in to assist police with the negotiations.

The woman's body remained in the alleyway below the man throughout the 12-hour operation unable to be moved, it is believed, due to the sensitive nature of the situation.

A spokesperson for the NSW Police has since confirmed to HuffPost Australia that the man was pulled from the awning by rescue officers from the NSW Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit at around 7:20pm and taken into custody.

"The man has been taken to Royal North Shore Hospital as a precaution, and remains there under police guard. It's believed he is also aged in his 30s," a NSW Police statement said.

"An investigation is now underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the woman's death; however, police are investigating the likelihood this is a domestic-violence related incident.

"Police will prepare a report for the information of the coroner."

At a later press conference, Superintendent Phil Flogel told media that the woman had fallen from a height and that she is believed to have been in a relationship with the man who remains in police custody.

Earlier in the afternoon, workers and pedestrians began to head home during peak hour around 5pm, and a crowd of spectators had gathered near to the location where the man remained until well after sunset.

Despite this, the NSW Police spokeswoman said authorities were urging people and traffic to avoid the area while the operation unfolded.

More to come.

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