Valinda standoff enters its 18th hour after man exchanges gunfire with LASD deputies

VALINDA, Calif. (KABC) — A standoff involving an armed man and sheriff’s deputies entered its 15th hour on Saturday morning at a home in the San Gabriel Valley, the day after the suspect exchanged gunfire with deputies and opened fire on pedestrians, authorities said.

The incident began shortly before 2:30 p.m. when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a report about someone firing shots at passersby in Valinda’s 16900 block of Wing Lane.

The man opened fire on deputies when they arrived at the scene, a sheriff’s spokesperson said.

“When they arrived, they were met with gunfire by the suspect,” said Deputy Miguel Meza. “Deputies returned fire at that time. The suspect barricaded himself inside that residence. We don’t know if that residence is his or family members.”

There was no indication that anyone was struck by gunfire.

The suspect remained barricaded inside the home overnight Friday. Additional shots were heard from inside the house. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

One woman was transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries which were not gunshot-related. A crisis-negotiation team and the sheriff’s elite Special Enforcement Bureau were on scene trying to convince the suspect to surrender peacefully.

Eric Torres, who lives nearby, said he heard as many as 30 gunshots.

The standoff was still underway as of 9 a.m. Saturday.