SWAT Team Rescues Hostage San Marino Family In Standoff: SMPD

SAN MARINO, CA — An armed man was taken into custody Thursday morning after he barricaded himself inside a San Marino home and held two children and their grandmother hostage for nearly 4 1/2 hours, authorities said.

The suspect, John Gabriel of San Gabriel, unexpectedly arrived at a home the 2100 block of Sherwood Road, west of San Marino Avenue, about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and began arguing with residents inside and then pulled a gun, according to Detective K. Cordischi of the San Marino Police Department.

Gabriel is the estranged husband of a woman who lives in the home and was arguing and threatening her family, Cordischi said.

Police were called to the home and when officers arrived, they saw the suspect was inside the home holding a dark object and yelling at several people. Moments later, four members of the family ran outside to safety, but two children and their grandmother remained inside, Cordischi said.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department SWAT team responded to the scene and made contact with Gabriel, who refused orders to release the hostages and surrender, prompting SWAT officers to launch a hostage rescue, which resulted in the safe removal of the three family members from the home, Cordischi said.

Negotiations continued to get Gabriel to surrender and just before 3 a.m. he walked out of the home, but he refused to comply with directions from SWAT officers, and a police dog was deployed to overpower Gabriel, Cordischi said.

The suspect was taken into custody and taken to a hospital in unknown condition for treatment, he said.

No other injuries were reported.

City News Service