6 guns seized, suspect jailed during Whittier SWAT raid

A sheriff’s SWAT team arrested a gang member and seized six guns, including an AK-47-style rifle equipped with high-capacity magazine, during an overnight raid at a Whittier home, authorities said Wednesday.
The bust took place about 10 p.m. at a home in the 12000 block of Howard Street, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Richardson said.
It was the result of an ongoing illegal weapons investigation by detectives assigned to the Operation Safe Streets task force, the sergeant said.
Knowing the suspect may be well-armed, investigators elected to have the risky search warrant conducted by specially trained SWAT deputies from the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, according to Richardson.
But the man did not put up a struggle, he said. After deputies cordoned off the home and ordered the man out of the home, he surrendered without a struggle shortly after midnight on Wednesday.
Deputies recovered six guns from the home, including an AK-47-style rifle with high-capacity magazines, another rifle and four handguns, Richardson said. Deputies also found rifle scopes and ammunition.
The man targeted in the warrant was arrested for weapons violations, he said. Several other people at the home were briefly detained, but not arrested.
Detectives withheld the suspect’s identity as they continued their investigation, Richardson said. He was described as a man in his late-30s.

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

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UPDATED: Monterey Park stabbing suspect arrested after two-hour standoff in East Los Angeles


EAST LOS ANGELES >> Officials arrested a teenage Monterey Park stabbing suspect following a two-hour standoff at an East Los Angeles home on Friday, officials said.
The incident began just after 11 a.m. in the 3500 block of East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Deputy Caroline Rodriguez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Information Bureau said in a written statement.
Police and deputies went to the home to serve a search warrant as part of the investigation into a Wednesday morning stabbing outside a motel in the 300 block of South Garfield Avenue in Monterey Park, Monterey Park police Lt. Gus Jimenez said.
One suspect, described a man, was taken into custody shortly after the alleged attack, Monterey Park police officials said in a written statement. But a second teenage suspect remained at large.
•Related: Man wounded in Monterey Park stabbing
The young man refused orders to exit the home when police arrived with a search warrant, officials said.
A sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau SWAT team, as well as crisis negotiators, were summoned to the scene, Rodriguez said. Nearby homes were evacuated during the standoff.
The holed-up suspect surrendered to deputies shortly after 1 p.m., Jimenez said.
Both suspects are accused of attempted murder, police said. The identity of the adult suspect was not released Friday.

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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Man jailed following 6-hour standoff in Montebello


MONTEBELLO >> A man showed up at the Montebello home of his ex-girlfriend and their children, then barricaded himself inside for six hours on Friday before surrendering to a SWAT team, police said.
Jose Vera, 31, was ultimately booked on suspicion of violating a restraining order, as well as an outstanding arrest warrant, according to Montebello police officials and Los Angeles County booking records. He was described as a Maywood gang member, but his city of residence was not clear.
The standoff began about noon in the 100 block of North Montebello Boulevard, just north of Whittier Boulevard.
Vera arrived at the home of his ex-girlfriend, with whom he has children in common, in violation of a court order to stay, Montebello police Lt. Larry Jackson said.
When police arrived, Vera refused to exit the home, officials said. The woman and children got out safely, and police summoned their Special Response Team to deal with the holed-up suspect.
Vera finally came out of the home and surrendered about 6 p.m. without a struggle, Jackson said.
He was being held without bail pending his initial court appearance, records show.

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UPDATED: Domestic violence suspect arrested after SWAT standoff in South El Monte


SOUTH EL MONTE >> A SWAT team arrested a domestic violence suspect believed to be armed with a knife holed up inside a South El Monte home following a six-hour standoff on Sunday, authorities said.
The incident began about 1:20 p.m. in the 9600 block of El Poche Street, Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Information Bureau said in a written statement.
“Deputies contacted the suspect’s girlfriend at the location who informed them that during an argument, the suspect threatened her with a knife and made statements of setting the house on fire,” she said.
The suspect refused orders to come out of the home and surrender, officials said.
Officials evacuated nearby homes, shut off the natural gas supply to the home and summoned a sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau SWAT Team, as well as crisis negotiators, to the scene.
After hours of attempts talk the man into surrendering, deputies forced their way into the home and took the man into custody shortly after 7 p.m., officials said.
Martin E. Hernandez, 51, was booked on suspicion of felony spousal assault and making criminal threats, Navarro-Suarez said.
“The weapon, a knife, was recovered,” she added.

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SWAT arrests suspect following Valinda standoff


VALINDA >> A sheriff’s SWAT team and crisis negotiators responded to a Valinda neighborhood after a man who was believed to be armed with a gun holed-up inside home late Friday, officials said.
The incident began shortly about 5 p.m. with a report of a domestic incident involving criminal threats and a gun at a house in the 800 block of Lacon Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
Shot were believed to have been fired inside the home, though no injuries were reported, Sgt. Rico Sandoval said.
Several other occupants of the home came out when deputies arrived, but the suspect refused, he said.
Deputies summoned a SWAT team and crisis negotiators to take over the standoff.
A personal drone being flown in the area interfered with the sheriff’s department helicopter during the incident, according to Capt. Tim Murakami. The drone pilot would have gotten off with a warning, but was arrested after deputies discovered he had an outstanding arrest warrant, the captain said.
The suspect surrendered after midnight, officials said. No further details were available.

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Officials: Man who shot at passing cars, deputies arrested after SWAT standoff near Covina

 
COVINA >> A man shot at passing cars, then opened fire on deputies who responded to the active shooter, before a SWAT team arrested him following an hours-long standoff on Sunday.
The incident began shortly after 9:30 a.m. with reports of a man shooting a gun along Cypress Street, west of Lark Allen Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Elisabeth Sachs said.
“He was shooting at cars passing by,” the lieutenant said.
Deputies also came under fire as they rushed to the scene, she said. A patrol car was struck but no one was injured by the suspect’s gunfire.
“(Deputies) did not return fire based on the suspect’s concealed location near a house,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
The gunman fled into a nearby home, on Roxburgh Avenue just north of Cypress Street, and refused to come out.
Deputies evacuated nearby homes and summoned a heavily armed and armored SWAT team to take charge of the standoff.
At one point, deputies used an armored paramedic truck to pick up several elderly residents from the driveway of their home and escort them out of the neighborhood.
A crisis negotiation team made contact with the barricaded suspect and worked to persuade him to surrender. A crowd developed around the scene to watch the standoff, prompting deputies to place an armored vehicle between them and the armed, holed-up suspect as a shield.
The suspect posted live videos on Facebook during the incident.
In one short video streamed toward the outset of the incident, he’s seen outdoors sticking his tongue out, brandishing a pistol, and saying “Big Slick Low,”in an apparent reference to his nickname, while appearing to slur his speech.
In another recording posted two hours later, the suspect is seen talking with a negotiator on the phone while indoors.
“Tell your men to stand back, I’ll (expletive) walk out surrendering,” he said.
The man is also seen placing the handgun against his head and threatening suicide.
“Tell them to back off. I’ll shoot my (expletive) face off right now.
The suspect filmed himself as he fired two gunshots at arriving deputies. “They’re here, they know where I am,” he says before firing a shot.
“I’m sorry guys,” he said before firing a second shot. Arriving deputies could be heard ordering him to lie down and surrender.
The suspect ultimately gave up about 12:45 p.m. and was taken into custody.
Sean Vasquez, 20, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on an peace officer, sheriff’s officials said.
The motive for his alleged rampage was unclear.
Neighbor Cindi Arp said she left her Roxburgh Avenue house about 9:25 a.m. when she heard “pow, pow, pow.” She presumed the three to four noises were fireworks and continued on her way. As she rounded the corner onto Cypress Street, she heard another volley of noises, but again, took them for fireworks.
“My husband called me five minutes later and said, ‘you left at the right time. We have an active shooter,’” Arp said.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
According to county booking records, Vasquez was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the sheriff’s San Dimas Station pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in the West Covina branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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Mentally disturbed Covina man arrested after 8-hour standoff


COVINA >> A mentally disturbed man who threw knives and hammers at police, holed up inside his home and lit several fires before a SWAT team took him into custody following an eight-hour standoff on Friday, officials said.
Kevin Daniel Harmon, 20, was booked on suspicion of assaulting police officers, felony vandalism, elder abuse and brandishing a weapon at police, Covina police Sgt. Antonio Zavala said.
Police first received a call about 2 p.m. from a woman reporting her neighbor, a 20-year-old man, was acting erratically and throwing items in his front yard in the 1100 block of North Stephora Avenue, Zavala said.
Officers had previously responded to the home before regarding mental health issues involving Harmon, who lives at the home with his grandmother, according to the sergeant.
When they arrived, Harmon initially tried to prevent his grandmother from answering the door for officers, the sergeant said. When she ultimately managed to get to the door and come out, Harmon brandished a machete at the officers.
Harmon allegedly then began throwing items including knives, hammers and picture frames at officers before going back inside his home and refusing orders to come out. No officers were hurt, though several of the projectiles narrowly missed their heads.
A crisis negotiator was summoned to the scene but was unable to persuade Harmon to surrender.
During the course of the hours-long standoff, “He started lighting objects in the house on fire,” Zavala said. He also set off fireworks inside the home.
Police summoned a SWAT team to take over the standoff.
Harmon surrendered to the SWAT team about 10 p.m., just as officers were forcing their way into the home through a window. He was taken into custody without injury.
After being booked into jail, police turned Harmon over to a psychiatric facility for examination, Zavala said.
According to county booking records, he was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.

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UPDATED: SWAT team detains woman following standoff outside Pasadena Police Department


PASADENA >> A SWAT team detained a despondent woman who showed up at the Pasadena Police Department Thursday afternoon claiming to have a gun following a standoff that lasted for about more than an hour, authorities said.
The incident began shortly after 5:30 p.m. at the police station, 207 Garfield Ave., Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
SWAT officers on foot and in an armored vehicle approached the woman with guns drawn at the beginning of the standoff.
The woman claimed to have a gun, but none was seen, Pasadena police Sgt. Anthony Burgess said. The woman said she was feeling suicidal.
Officials locked down the nearby Pasadena Public Library, as well as City Hall and the courthouse, during the standoff.
Pasadena police Homeless Outreach-Psychiatric Evaluation Team members, as well as crisis negotiators, attempted to persuade the woman to surrender to police and accept help.
As darkness began to fall and the woman remained uncooperative, police shot her with less-lethal bean bag rounds and took her into custody without further incident, Lt. Tracey Ibarra said. No weapon was ultimately found.
She was taken to a hospital for examination, and was expected to be taken for psychiatric evaluation.
“The officers did an exceptional job,” Ibarra said

PHOTOS by Sarah Reingewirtz

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UPDATE: Walnut man arrested for firing rifle in backyard


WALNUT >> Sheriff’s deputies, including a SWAT team, descended on a Walnut neighborhood Thursday afternoon after reports of gunfire, ultimately arresting a man on suspicion of negligently firing a rifle, officials said.
The incident began about 1:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Camino de Gloria, north of Valley Boulevard, when deputies received reports of gunfire heard in the neighborhood, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. David Buckner said.
“Upon their arrival, they heard two additional volleys of shots,” he said.
Deputies cordoned off the neighborhood and summoned a Special Enforcement Bureau team to the scene.
Officials ultimately determined the shots were fired from a nearby backyard, and did not appear to target anyone or anything in particular, according to the lieutenant.
Deputies found the suspected shooter walking in the neighborhood and took him into custody without a struggle about 4:15 p.m., Buckner said.
A .22-caliber rifle was recovered from his property, he added.
The suspect, a man of about 60 years old, was booked on suspicion of negligently discharging a firearm, Buckner said.
His identity was not available Thursday evening.

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Man accused of assault with a deadly weapon, assault weapon possession following 8-hour South Whittier standoff


SOUTH WHITTIER >> A Whittier man was behind bars Sunday after allegedly beating up his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend, then engaging a sheriff’s SWAT team in a standoff for eight hours while armed with an assault weapon before surrendering, officials said.
Dylan Rey Robledo, 36, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of an assault weapon, as well as for outstanding warrants, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials and booking records.
The incident began shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, when Robledo arrived at the home of his ex-girlfriend in the 9900 block of Bona Vista Lane and assaulter her current boyfriend, sheriff’s Lt. Robin Limon said. It was unclear if any weapons were used in the assault, in which the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Deputies responded and ordered everyone from the home, Limon said. Everyone came out, except Robledo, who refused orders to exit the home and surrender.
Deputies summoned a sheriff’s SWAT team to take over the scene.
Special Enforcement Bureau deputies used tear gas to flush the suspect from the home about 8:30 p.m., Limon said. He was then taken into custody without a struggle.
An assault weapon was recovered from the home, officials said.
No further details were available.
According to Los Angeles County Superior Court records, Robledo was already on probation at the time of the standoff following convictions in November of 2015 for vandalism and resisting police by force or violence.
He was being held without bail pending his initial court appearances, records show.

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