Sacramento Police: Armed Suspect Has Surrendered, Hostage Is Now Safe
SOUTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - According to Sacramento Police, the hostage situation that started on Monday has ended.
Police say the armed suspect, 48-year-old Eric Minjares, surrendered and the hostage is now safe.
Original Story:
Authorities say an armed suspect is believed to be holding at least one person against their will inside a south Sacramento home.
Officers responded to the area of 58th Street and Fruitridge Road late Monday morning and are trying to make contact with someone who they say may have fired a gun, according to a Sacramento Police Department statement.
At around 10:30 p.m., authorities brought in heavy equipment in an attempt to break into the home after repeated attempts to get the suspect to surrender. A crane-like vehicle was slowly making its way to the front of the home. However, entry has not yet been made.
The device is called a Rook tactical tractor. It is used to bring personnel into a scene and clear out a scene while protecting the officers from gunfire.
No injuries have been reported in this incident.
Sacramento police say one subject has been seen armed inside the residence where they're holding another person against their will.
One woman said the man being held hostage is her family member. She was asked to bring alcohol and cigarettes to the scene—a request allegedly made by the suspect.
"He said that's what he needed so he can calm down so hopefully it wouldn't escalate to where it's at now," the woman, Desairee Anaya, said.
Family members said there were about eight people, including a small child, in the home when an argument began this morning. Everyone left with only the suspect and the hostage being the only two people remaining in the home.
West Campus High School along with Mark Twain and Peter Burnett elementary schools were all on lockdown and eventually dismissed due to the situation.
Police urge people to avoid the area as a precaution. A perimeter has been established and SWAT officers, along with Crisis Negotiators and an Unmanned Aerial Systems unit, are at the scene.
