Gunman in barricaded Sylmar home is identified
An armed man who shot an LAPD officer and remained at the center of a tense standoff with police in Sylmar was identified Monday as Sergio O. Salazar, sources confirmed.
Salazar, 53, is listed as co-owner of a home at 13652 1/2 Dronfield Avenue in the area cordoned off by police more than 12 hours ago. Salazar allegedly shot LAPD Officer Steven Jenkins in the face early Monday as police responded to a domestic violence call.
Jenkins, a 22-year veteran, was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery and was recovering in critical but stable condition.
Salazar was described by a woman who knew him as a native of Guatemala who liked guns and whose temper could flare. The woman, who asked not to be identified because she fears for her safety, said that when she knew him, "He used to carry a .357 under the seat of his car."
The woman said he had a close family, including a mother and two sisters who adored him.
"He was the king of the family,'' she said.
The standoff began about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when police received a report of domestic violence in the 16300 block of Dronfield Avenue. Responding firefighters treated a woman with cuts and bruises at a neighbor's house.
Officers arrived at Salazar's home and tried to contact him about 2:45 a.m. When he didn't respond, a team of canine handlers approached the home, and Salazar allegedly fired on them, striking Jenkins in the face and shoulder.
About 6 a.m., the suspect communicated by text with relatives, said LAPD spokesman Andy Neiman. Ccontact ended after that, he said. Negotiators repeatedly tried to call Salazar on his cellphone and home phone, to no avail.
The neighborhood of middle-class ranch properties and Salazar's newer, gated community was evacuated by 7 a.m. During the long standoff in the morning, police fired regular tear-gas canisters and then lobbed a more intense chemical called "hot gas" into the home.
Salazar could be seen moving around in the home, and he fired repeatedly on officers over a 45-minute to one-hour period ending at 10:30 a.m. Police had not seen him since, Neiman said.
About noon, special weapons and tactics units brought in a giant forklift-like machine and broke down part of the back wall of the house to better expose the shooter.
The forklift-like device, called a Bad Cat, not only broke down wall in several places upstairs and downstairs but was used to remove furniture and clear the area.
The Bad Cat has a telescoping arm equipped with video capability to monitor inside the house remotely.
"The idea is to make it as wide open as we can so they can see him either down or not," Neiman said. "Whether he's hiding out playing possum or waiting for us to come in ... we just don't know."
SWAT units prepared to wait Salazar out, if necessary.
"We're trying to do this as safely as possible for all our officers' sake, for the surrounding community and even for the suspect,'' Neiman said.
RELATED:
LAPD officer shot in Sylmar standoff is in critical but stable condition
-- Gale Holland in Sylmar and Catherine Saillant
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Shot a cop? done deal save the tax payers some money...do what you have to do.
Posted by: m saucedo | April 04, 2011 at 04:15 PM
The Bad Cat is more commonly, or correctly, known as the BatCat
Posted by: Denise | April 04, 2011 at 04:35 PM
Praying for the LAPD officer.... hoping he heals up and can return to his family and his duties....
Posted by: Chris | April 04, 2011 at 04:46 PM
My neighbor has cats. I think they are also "bad cats".
Posted by: mr c | April 04, 2011 at 04:47 PM
Here's how this is going to end: the lifeless body of Sergio Salazar is going to be taken out of the house. Suicide.
Posted by: Mister Chris | April 04, 2011 at 04:51 PM
Why spend all this time and money, he shot a cop so shoot until you run out of bullets and then burn the place down. This guy is scum and should not be alive.
Posted by: waste of time | April 04, 2011 at 04:57 PM
Huh? Why is this guy still barricaded? I don't get the whole "barricaded" status. If there are no hostages involved, and the guy is alone, why can't we teargas this idiot? He SHOT A COP! His ass should be taken out, actually, but to avoid the city-wide protests that will for sure commence shortly afterward, why can't the police use good 'ole tear gas and flush this guy out? We have things to do, end this silliness and string this guy up!!
Posted by: fryoneusa | April 04, 2011 at 05:08 PM
Chalk up another victim to the NRA and the gun lobby.
Posted by: Public Advocate | April 04, 2011 at 05:10 PM
Another emotionally undisciplined, machismo loving idiot.
Posted by: Jon K. | April 04, 2011 at 05:14 PM
The woman said he had a close family, including a mother and two sisters who adored him.
"He was the king of the family,'' she said.
Yeah, QUITE the role model for Mommy and sisters to adore, eh?!!
He has quite a temper and likes guns?!! Just a ticking time bomb, I'd say!
"King of the family"?!! Yes, and EVERYONE who was "smart" KNEW it and feared him!!
Quite the "man"......NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Kateye | April 04, 2011 at 05:46 PM
Thank you, you and for your famiy who put their lifes on the line every single day for those of us who want to live in peace. My prayers are there.
Posted by: Ermallinda Espinoza | April 04, 2011 at 06:32 PM
Its ironic that when a violent guatemalan refugee gets shot for trying to stab innocent bystanders...there are people sending condolences to his family. Its sad that when an LAPD officer gets shot for trying to stop another guatemalan who was also very violent..there are no well wishes for the officers recovery...what is wrong with this picture?
Posted by: Lucky | April 04, 2011 at 07:26 PM
I thought it was a nice touch to show how wealthy this police department really is, that this police department could afford to summon a helicopter to transport the wife to the hospital to save her the time and effort of having to drive there like a civilian. These people are ruling elite.
Posted by: Herebert44 | April 04, 2011 at 08:17 PM