Jul 22, 2008 5:23 am US/Pacific
Teen Surrenders After Holding Family Hostage
NEWHALL, Calif.
A 17-year-old boy that allegedly chased family members inside a Newhall home while waving a knife barricaded himself inside the house for nearly two hours before surrendering to sheriff's deputies early Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Deputies responded to a call of a disturbance involving a father and his teenage son in the 25000 block of Walnut Street around 10:30 p.m. Monday night, according to Sgt. Darren Harris of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Santa Clarita Station.
The boy's father, after leaving the home along with other family members, told arriving deputies that the teen was "acting crazy" and chasing them around the house with a knife in his hand, Harris said.
The teen did not comply with the deputies' orders to exit the house and remained inside the home, Harris said. Several people in adjacent homes and in a backhouse were evacuated.
During the standoff, the boy "put mattresses in front of windows" and "lit a small fire in one of the bedrooms" but the flames were quickly doused, he said.
Deputies called out to the boy in an attempt to persuade him to give up, but he refused, Harris said.
At one point, the teen left the house, only to quickly return inside, slamming the door behind him, an On Scene Video camera crew reported.
"Just after 12:25 a.m., he finally gave up," Harris said. "He just walked out and was taken into custody without incident."
The boy, whose name was not released, was booked for obstructing peace officers, assault with a deadly weapon, and arson, he said.
Harris said a canine unit and the sheriff's SWAT team were notified. However, the incident ended before they were deployment. No one was hurt in the incident, he added.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
