LAist relies on your reader support, not paywalls.
Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.
Nine Hour Standoff in Downey Ends in Evacuations and Arrest
After a nine-hour standoff with police, a man who barricaded himself in a Downey apartment has been arrested, reports ABC News.
The incident began last night when Jeffrey Zuniga, 24, allegedly threatened his 18-year-old niece with a gun during a fight. The girl called the police, and Zuniga left the location of their argument and went to his mother's apartment on Elm Vista Drive and Bellflower Boulevard in Downey.
When police arrived at about 9:00 p.m., Zuniga reportedly barricaded himself into the apartment with his girlfriend, reports KTLA. After officers tried and failed to get Zuniga out, the SWAT team was called in.
Between 40 and 50 residents of the building were evacuated, says NBC LA. Tear gas was used as well as a battering ram to break into the apartment at about 6:30 a.m. today, and Zuniga was taken into custody. No one was injured.