Alleged murder suspect arrested after barricading inside Gardena bar following police chase
Murder suspect arrested after Gardena standoff
A man wanted for murder was arrested in Gardena, after a multi-hour standoff at the Aloha Bar. Police said they were chasing a man wanted for a murder in Harbor-Gateway when he ran into the bar, that had people inside. Hours later, no one was hurt and the suspect was arrested.
GARDENA, Calif. - Authorities arrested an alleged murder suspect Tuesday after he barricaded himself for several hours inside a Los Angeles business.
The 25-year-old suspect led police on a pursuit Tuesday morning before taking off on foot and barricading himself in the Aloha Bar in Gardena.
"It was pretty intense," said Sharekia Austin, a witness. "The guy just ran into the bar. He was trying to hide. [Police] just told us to leave. So, we just waited here."
After authorities investigated the scene near Gardena Blvd. and Vermont Ave. in the Gardena area, the Los Angeles Police Department said they established a perimeter and dispatched SWAT.
"We brought in the SWAT team, and we brought in our crisis negotiation team," said LAPD Commander Alfonso Lopez. "We had open lines of communication with him. Through those, we were able to get his surrender."
There were 12 people inside the bar when the suspect ran inside. Authorities placed everyone in handcuffs as they exited the bar as a precaution.
"We detained several people until we got the man in question," said Lopez. "Once we were able to arrest him and validate everyone else and verify they weren’t connected with him, we released them as well."
SUGGESTED:
- Police chase suspect drives into ocean with dogs in back seat, tries to swim away
- Driver leads undercover cop on dramatic police chase across LA's San Fernando Valley
- Police chase: Driver in allegedly stolen Lowe's truck arrested after wild pursuit
- LA police chase: Suspect in Corvette tops speeds of 140 mph
It is unclear if anyone else was involved with the suspect's attempted escape. Authorities are investigating possible ties between the suspect, the bar, and gang activity.
Authorities have not released any identifying information on the suspect other than that he is a 25-year-old man. Authorities said the murder suspect is linked to a shooting that occurred earlier this month outside a sports bar in Harbor Gateway. There, a 31-year-old man was shot and killed, another person was also injured.
The suspect was brought into custody early Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.