SLO man barricaded himself inside Amtrak train for 2 hours, police say
A San Luis Obispo man was arrested Tuesday after barricading himself in an Amtrak train, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
Around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, San Luis Obispo police received a report of a man — later identified as 42-year-old Jorge Cardenas Soto — inside the maintenance yard at the Amtrak Station on 1011 Railroad Ave., the agency said in a news release.
By the time officers arrived on the scene, Cardenas Soto had barricaded himself inside the engine bay of one of the trains, the release said.
Two police crisis negotiators responded and started talking to the man, the release said.
“It became apparent that he was in a mental health crisis,” police said in the release.
Negotiators were able to convince Cardenas Soto to leave the train after two hours, the release said, and he was safely taken into custody.
Cardenas Soto did not have any weapons, police said, and did not harm any passengers or staff.
He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, obstructing a peace officer in performance of duties and delaying a train.
Cardenas Soto was being held Tuesday at San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail, according to jail records.
Police said he will receive a mental health evaluation and appropriate follow-up services.
