Lancaster Standoff Ends with Barricaded Suspect Down, Baby Safe

Lancaster, Los Angeles County, CA: A tense standoff situation involving a barricaded armed pursuit suspect holding a baby hostage finally came to an end on Wednesday night in a mobile home in the city of Lancaster.

At approximately 9:00 p.m., Dec. 21, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) made entry into a mobile home at 26th Street East and Avenue I where an armed pursuit suspect barricaded with a baby for almost 20 hours.

When SEB made entry to the location, the suspect was discovered down suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.

The baby was reunited with the mother and an ambulance was requested to transport the baby to a local hospital. The suspect is reported to be the baby’s father.

Units began leaving the area at approximately 9:45 p.m. No further details regarding the suspect were available.

CHP initiated a pursuit of a vehicle that was traveling at speeds over 130 mph on Golden Valley and the 14 Freeway north around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20. The suspect continued to take side streets and the 14 leading to the Lancaster area.

The suspect led California Highway Patrol units to Lido Estates mobile home park at 26th Street East and Avenue I where he held a handgun to the child’s head upon exiting the vehicle and walked into a mobile home believed to be his residence. The mother of the child reportedly does not live at the location, according to information from the scene.

CHP spokesperson Sgt. Alejandro Rubio said the suspect called the sheriff’s department during the pursuit and informed them that he had a weapon and also an infant child in the vehicle. He also said he would shoot the officers if they did not disengage the pursuit. At approximately 12:47 a.m., at 17th Street East and Avenue Q, the suspect fired but no officers were injured or equipment damaged.

Hostage negotiators were on scene along with CHP, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s SEB and SWAT working to resolve the standoff.

Eyad Alawi, Video Journalist / KNN