By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
The Los Angeles Times
PASADENA, Calif. — An 11-hour standoff between police and an armed man hiding in the garage of his Pasadena home ended early this morning when the man turned himself in after being wounded in an exchange of gunfire with police, authorities said.
For the first four hours of the standoff, Carlos Artivia, 45, held his 9-year-old son in the garage of his home in the 1500 block of North El Molino Avenue where he had multiple weapons, said Pasadena Police Cmdr. John Perez.
The incident began about 5 p.m. Monday when police were called to the home on a report of a family disturbance. When officers arrived, Artivia allegedly fired five to eight gunshots at them from the direction of the garage, Perez said.
A Pasadena police SWAT team was called to the house and negotiators contacted Artivia by phone, persuading him to release his son at about 9 p.m., Perez said. The boy was not injured, he said.
At midnight, Artivia emerged from the garage but refused to surrender, Perez said. Instead, he climbed to the roof of the garage and allegedly fired several rounds at SWAT officers, who returned fire, Perez said. Artivia then went back inside the garage.
Four hours later he left the garage again and surrendered to authorities. At some point in the standoff, Artivia was wounded, Perez said. After surrendering he was taken to a hospital to be treated for two gunshot wounds, one to his upper body and one to his lower body, Perez said.
“That most likely convinced him to give up,” Perez said of the wounds.
Pasadena police arrested Artivia on suspicion of kidnapping and attempted murder, Perez said. Artivia was in surgery this morning, Perez said.
No officers or others were injured in the shootings, Perez said.
Police have recovered a rifle from the scene that they believe was used in the shooting, and this morning they were still searching for a handgun and other weapons Artivia was allegedly seen firing, Perez said.
Investigators have interviewed Artivia, contacted his wife and are still determining what caused the family disturbance, Perez said.
Copyright 2008 The Los Angeles Times