When Cary police tried to serve an arrest warrant Wednesday on Errol Roussaeu, authorities say the 46-year-old business professional barricaded himself in his home on 116 Riva Trace Drive and apparently shot himself in the chest during a four-hour standoff.
Rousseau, president of Professionally Planned Meetings, Inc. of Morrisville, was wanted for fraud after he allegedly deposited more than $20,000 worth of credit card courtesy checks, knowing there were problems with the credit card accounts.
"There were three accounts -- there were five checks total -- but three accounts," said Cary Police Capt. David Wulff. "One was in the phase of collection, where bills hadn't been paid on it; one was closed; and one was just maxed out, so, he wouldn't have had the right to use those courtesy checks, and therefore, that's what makes it fraud."
Investigators said they first talked with Rousseau, who had no criminal record, in December and gave him time to get the situation resolved. When that did not happen, they said they pursued the warrant for his arrest.
Neighbors described Roussaeu as a "nice guy" and could not believe he may have taken his own life. They can only speculate why he wouldn't come out of his home when police came to arrest him.
"He mentioned he had some health concerns that changed his perspective in some ways," said neighbor Paul Bunting, whose front door was damaged when a bullet went through it.
Bunting's wife, Julia Bunting, was home with her three children when the bullet hit the door. Although she is thankful her family was not injured, she does not think Rousseau had to hurt himself.
"The officer said (that) had he come with him, he'd probably been back by night, back in his home, safe," she said. "So, it's just a tragedy that it had to end this way -- that we are never going to see our neighbor again."
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