Suspect found dead after Christmas Eve standoff, fire in Hermosa Beach
LOS ANGELES – A Christmas Eve standoff with a domestic violence suspect at a home in Hermosa Beach ended late Sunday evening when the suspect was found dead, authorities said.
The first 911 call was received around 3:30 p.m. from the 600 block of 11th Street near Ardmore Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
A witness told KTLA 5 News that neighbors heard a loud argument and saw a man with a gun.
“Officers discovered that a domestic incident occurred and a male made several verbal threats towards the victim causing her and other family members to flee the residence for safety,” Hermosa Beach said in a statement early Monday morning. “The male then barricaded himself inside the residence and refused any contact with police.”
At about 4:30 p.m., the garage of the two-story home caught fire and flames quickly spread throughout the rest of the building. Firefighters had to battle the fire defensively to protect their safety and prevent it from reaching neighboring homes.
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At one point, police and witnesses reported hearing explosions, possibly gunshots, but no officers felt they had been targeted, Hermosa Beach Police Chief Paul LeBaron said.
Several neighbors were evacuated during the volatile and fluid situation as the standoff continued into the evening.
At about 9:30 p.m., police and deputies with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department entered the home to try to arrest the man, who they presumed was still alive at the time. Instead, they found him dead inside the garage, authorities said.
His name had not been released as of Monday morning.
No other victims were located inside the home, however a pet dog was rescued and reunited with the family.
The county coroner’s office will determine how the suspect died and the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the L.A. County Fire Department.
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