Man who barricaded himself in Van Nuys home is arrested

A man who barricaded himself inside a Van Nuys home and later escaped was detained Tuesday hours after SWAT teams had dispersed.

The 71-year-old man, whose name was not released, was taken into custody after a short vehicle pursuit about 9:30 a.m., said Lt. Andy Neiman of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The incident began about 12 hours earlier when police were called to the home on the 6700 block of Costello Avenue, where the man's wife told them her husband refused to leave and had access to firearms, said LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh.

SWAT was called to the scene, but when officers searched the house, the man wasn't there.

The SWAT unit left, but officers continued investigating, Neiman said. Several hours later, the suspect was observed in a vehicle and taken into custody near Vanowen Street and Hazeltine Avenue after a short pursuit, Neiman said.

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-- Dalina Castellanos

Photo: Scene of Van Nuys barricade. Credit: KTLA-TV