New security video obtained by WRAL shows the moments leading up to a tense standoff between a man and Garner police on Sunday.
The standoff played out on Alta Crest Lane in Garner, as severe winter weather swept the Triangle. Ultimately, 32-year-old Nathan Tharp was taken into custody.
The video was shared by Daniel Fontana, who lives just down the street from the home where the standoff happened.
In the video, Garner police officers can be heard yelling ‘get on the ground!’ before a silver Tesla Cybertruck pops into view. The truck plows through Fontana’s fence four separate times, circling his home, before disappearing out of frame. Officers can be heard yelling again, before a series of gunshots echoes through the neighborhood.
“These are actually two pieces of his Tesla that I found,” said Fontana, while walking through his backyard on Tuesday. “If you walk back here, you can see the tree that got split in half. He completely ran this tree over.”
Fontana says he was home at the time and spotted the Cybertruck cutting through his backyard while trying to watch football.
“My wife screamed, like, ‘call the police.’ I stepped outside, and I already saw the police out there,” said Fontana.
According to Garner Police, the standoff started as a domestic violence call. When officers arrived, they saw Nathan Tharp try to run over a woman in the middle of Alta Crest Lane. When Tharp tried to run the woman over a second time, officers attempted to shoot him.
Tharp was uninjured, police say. He crashed his car into another home before running inside. The homeowners were inside and were forced to run out.
Neighbors say Tharp was a veteran dealing with PTSD. That would make him the second veteran to get into a violent confrontation with police just a few miles and hours apart on Sunday. In Johnston County, Anthony Richardson was shot and killed by Sheriff’s deputies while having what his wife tells WRAL was a PTSD episode.
“If we have periods of cold, dark weather, that is going to be detrimental to our mental health,” said psychotherapist Kamala Uzzell.
According to Uzzell, the severe winter storm may help explain the back-to-back incidents. Recent violence in the news – including protests and shootings in Minneapolis – could have contributed as well.
“When you are in a mental health crisis, you have a break from reality. And so you don’t understand exactly what you’re doing, you don’t understand the actions that you’re taking,” said Uzzell.
For his part, Daniel Fontana says this incident has left his family with more than just a $5,000 mess in the backyard. There’s also the haunting question of ‘what if?’
“I have a stepson who’s eight, and he is kind of nervous,” said Fontana. “He’s been a bit scared the first night thinking that, you know, what if? What happens if this happens again?”
WRAL also spoke to the owners of the home, police say Tharp barricaded himself inside.
The owners declined to go on camera, but say the home has been declared unsafe to occupy. Among the painful losses is a car the couple purchased for their daughter before she passed away. The car was smashed in the standoff. The couple is now trying to save both the car and their home.
Neighbors have started a GoFundMe to help the family.
Tharp was eventually taken into custody. He’s facing a long list of charges, including assaulting an officer.
A “wild and dangerous police pursuit” that started in Frederick County, Maryland, came to a stop on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County.
WTOP Traffic Reporter Dave Dildine reports on the wrong way driver during the police pursuit
A “wild and dangerous police pursuit” that started in Frederick County, Maryland, came to a stop on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County.
It happened Friday during the afternoon rush. WTOP’s Traffic Center fielded several calls from panicked listeners who said they saw someone driving southbound on I-270 “lane-splitting the northbound lanes and going head-first into oncoming traffic,” WTOP Traffic reporter Dave Dildine said.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook that its deputies were involved in the pursuit as it continued into Montgomery County. The driver of the vehicle, a man, was detained and the sheriff’s office said there is “no further threat to the community.”
The pursuit came to a stop when the driver crashed near the Comus Road overpass in Clarksburg, Dildine said.
WTOP’s news partner 7News reports that the man then jumped out of the car while holding a child, using them as a hostage.
All lanes of I-270 were shutdown for more than an hour during the standoff. Hundreds of drivers idled in place between Route 121 and Route 109 as police worked to bring the situation under control.
The Maryland State Highway Administration diverted northbound traffic at Father Hurley Boulevard while southbound drivers were sent onto Route 109 into Hyattstown. Long backups formed on nearby Route 355 and Route 27.
All lanes of I-270 reopened shortly before 7 p.m.
WTOP’s Abigail Constantino and Dave Dildine contributed to this report.
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Ciara Wells
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The USS Gerald R. Ford is the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
U.S. Navy
The world’s largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has entered the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, further expanding what is already the biggest U.S. military presence in the Caribbean in decades, the Navy said Tuesday.
The deployment — officially framed as a mission against narcotics trafficking and transnational crime — comes as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Venezuela, where the Nicolás Maduro regime is rushing to reinforce a troubled Russian- and Iranian-backed air defense network.
The Ford Carrier Strike Group arrives as new antiaircraft platforms surface across Venezuela. Last week, Russian-made Buk-M2E medium-range surface-to-air missile systems were spotted inside Caracas’ La Carlota military airport, following an urgent appeal by Maduro for Moscow and Beijing to help prepare for what he describes as the threat of a U.S. invasion.
The Buk-M2E, known by NATO as the SA-17 Grizzly, can engage multiple aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles simultaneously with its 9M317E interceptor, which has a range of up to 28 miles.
The Ford strike group, consisting of guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill, was ordered into the region after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed additional forces to support President Donald Trump’s mandate to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and counter narco-terrorism threatening the U.S. homeland.
“The enhanced U.S. force presence in the SOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a Navy press release. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.”
With more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft, the Ford gives U.S. commanders unmatched reach for sustained operations at sea. Its electromagnetic catapult and advanced arresting gear allow simultaneous launches and recoveries of aircraft, offering a significant edge in both combat and surveillance missions.
The carrier will operate alongside the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and its Marine Expeditionary Unit, under a joint task force said to be focused on dismantling criminal networks using maritime routes in the Caribbean and along the coasts of Central and South America.
“Through unwavering commitment and the precise use of our forces, we stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region,” said Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander of the Doral-based Southern Command.
What the Ford brings to the table:
The Ford Strike Group carries a formidable mix of air, surface and electronic-warfare assets. Its embarked Carrier Air Wing 8 includes:
• F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
• E/A-18G Growlers
• E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes
• MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawks
• C-2A Greyhounds
The accompanying destroyers bring layered air, surface and submarine defenses through the Aegis Combat System. The USS Winston S. Churchill, serving as Integrated Air and Missile Defense Commander, provides protection against long-range aerial threats.
The U.S. show of force has further strained relations with Caracas, with Maduro accusing Washington of planning “acts of aggression” under the guise of counter-narcotics missions. Since late September, Venezuela has been in a state of emergency, mobilized its armed forces and Bolivarian Militia, and unveiled what analysts describe as one of the most integrated—though unevenly functioning—air defense networks in Latin America.
At its core are Russian-built S-300VM long-range missile systems capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles more than 125 miles away. Analysts believe three battalions protect Caracas and key industrial corridors. Buk-M2E, Pantsir-S1, upgraded S-125 Pechora-2M, and newly delivered Iranian Bavar-373 missile systems add medium- and short-range capacity.
For close-range defense, Venezuela has distributed thousands of Igla-S MANPADS, Russian-made shoulder-launched surface-t0-air missile systems, across the country.
Despite Venezuela’s crippling maintenance issues, Russia, Iran and China continue to support Maduro. Russian military transport aircraft reportedly delivered fresh missile components and Pantsir batteries in late October, and Russian advisors are assisting local operators. Iran has supplied Bavar-373 systems and cruise-missile technology; China contributes radars and electronic-warfare platforms.
Even with the new hardware, experts estimate that only 25–40% of Venezuela’s radar and missile network is fully operational due to financial sanctions and a chronic shortage of spare parts. Still, the systems could challenge U.S. air operations near Venezuelan airspace.
A recent Washington Post report said Maduro urgently asked China, Russia and Iran for additional radars, drone technology, aircraft repairs and potentially more missiles. It remains unclear what Beijing has promised.
Reports over the past week indicate the U.S. military is expanding its presence in the Caribbean, fueling speculation about potential strikes inside Venezuela. The Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal have reported that the Trump administration has identified Venezuelan military sites allegedly tied to drug-trafficking networks as possible bombing targets.
As Washington amasses what regional diplomats have described as an “armada,” anxiety is rising across Venezuela. Many citizens view the Ford’s arrival as a symbolic turning point that could signal the next phase of Trump’s pressure campaign.
Speaking last week by video at the America Business Forum in Miami, top opposition leader María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, endorsed Trump’s approach, calling it “absolutely correct” and a watershed in the hemisphere’s fight against tyranny and organized crime.
In August, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million, calling him “one of the world’s biggest drug traffickers” and the leader of the Cartel de los Soles. Bondi said he works with groups including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other transnational criminal networks.
Antonio María Delgado
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Man detained after allegedly robbing a Taco Bell, crashing vehicle into Sacramento-area home
LOCAL SOURCES. FIRST, THOUGH, WE HAVE SOME BREAKING NEWS FOR SCHOOLS IN THE ARDEN-ARCADE AREA. NOW, IN A PRECAUTIONARY LOCKDOWN AS DEPUTIES ARE SEARCHING FOR A ROBBERY SUSPECT. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW. THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HAS SET UP A PERIMETER AROUND RIO TINTO AVENUE. THAT’S NEAR EDISON AVENUE JUST TO THE NORTH. AND THEY SAY THE SUSPECT IS WANTED FOR A ROBBERY AT A TACO BELL ON SUNRISE AVENUE. AND WINDING WAY. WE DO HAVE KCRA 3’S PEYTON HEADLEE THERE RIGHT NOW. AND YOU’RE SEEING A LOT THERE, PEYTON. AND YOU CAN PROBABLY HEAR THE SHERIFF’S HELICOPTER THAT’S GOING OVERHEAD. THEY’VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE IN THE AREA THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AN ARMED FELONY SUSPECT, AND THEY’RE ASKING NEIGHBORS HERE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND LOCK THEIR DOORS. AND WE’VE SEEN SOME NEIGHBORS WITH KIDS ACTUALLY RUNNING OUT OF THEIR HOMES, GETTING IN THEIR CARS AND LEAVING THE AREA. SO I’LL GIVE YOU A LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE SEEING HERE. WE ARE AT A PRETTY GOOD DISTANCE FROM WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING NEAR RIO TINTO AVENUE AND PEYTON STREET, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE PRESENCE FROM SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES AND SOME OF THEIR SIRENS GOING OFF RIGHT NOW. THEY’VE BEEN DOING THAT TO WARN PEOPLE TO GO BACK INSIDE OF THEIR HOMES. IF THEY SEE THEM COME OUT. SO THIS ALL STARTED AS A ROBBERY AT THE TACO BELL ON SUNRISE BOULEVARD AND WINDING WAY AROUND 4 P.M. OFFICIALS SAY THE SUSPECT USED A GUN, AND DEPUTIES SO FAR HAVE NOT RECOVERED ONE, SO THEY HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THAT SUSPECT IS STILL ARMED. AFTER THAT ROBBERY. WE KNOW THE SUSPECT LEFT THE TACO BELL, BUT A DEPUTY TRACKED THEM DOWN. THERE WAS A SHORT CHASE. THE SUSPECT THEN CRASHED THEIR CAR INTO A HOUSE IN THIS AREA. THE DAMAGE IN THAT HOUSE RIGHT NOW IS NOT CLEAR, BUT WE KNOW THE SUSPECT THEN GOT OUT AND RAN AWAY. AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THAT SUSPECT IS INSIDE ONE OF THESE HOMES. THAT’S WHY THEY’RE TAKING SUCH DRASTIC MEASURES TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREA. THEY’RE EVACUATING NEARBY HOMES. WE KNOW THAT THE SWAT TEAM IS ON THE WAY. ALSO, AN IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE, THE SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SAID THAT FOUR SCHOOLS IN THE AREA ARE UNDER PRECAUTIONARY SHELTER IN PLACE. ORDERS CONNECTED WITH THIS SEARCH. THOSE FOUR SCHOOLS ARE WHITNEY AVENUE ELEMENTARY, PASADENA AVENUE ELEMENTARY, ARCADE MIDDLE, AND MIRA LOMA HIGH. THEY SAY AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE BEING HELD INDOORS UNTIL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO CLEAR THE AREA. SO AGAIN, A VERY ACTIVE SCENE OUT HERE AS THEY SEARCH FOR THE SUSPECT IN THIS ARMED ROBBERY AT A NEARBY TACO BELL, WE KNOW THEY ARE EVACUATING NEARBY HOMES, ASKING PEOPLE TO LEAVE THE AREA AS THEY FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHICH HOME THIS INDIVIDUAL IS INSIDE, AND THEY TRIED TO TAKE THAT PERSON INTO CUSTODY. THEY HAVE SAID OVER THE SPEAKER OF THE SHERIFF’S HELICOPTER THAT THEY HAVE THIS AREA SURROUNDED AND THAT THEY WILL BE USING. K-9S TO TRACK DOWN THAT INDIVIDUAL AND HAVE ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THAT PERSON TO COME OUT OF THE HOUSE. SO OF COURSE, WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON WHAT HAPPENS HERE. FOR NOW, WE’RE LIVE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. PEYTON HEADLEE KCRA THREE NEWS. PEYTON, THANK YOU. AND WE WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE WATCHING THIS COVERAGE, WHAT EXACTLY PEOPLE SHOULD BE DOING. WE KNOW THAT THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES ARE IN A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER. THERE ARE SOME EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. JUST IF YOU CAN SPELL OUT EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE DOING, IF THEY LIVE IN THAT AREA. YES. SO WHAT THE SHERIFF’S HELICOPTER HAS BEEN SAYING TO PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS AREA, THEY’RE ASKING THEM TO LOOK OUT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY SAY IS IN ALL BLACK CLOTHING. AND THEN IN TERMS OF EVACUATIONS, THEY SAY TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AND TO LOCK YOUR DOORS. THEY SAID THAT THEY MIGHT GO INSIDE AND SEARCH WITH A CANINE. SO YEAH, BEST MOVE OF ACTION HERE FROM THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS JUST TO EVACUATE THE AREA UNTIL THEY CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT THEY HAVE THE SUSPECT IN CUSTODY. YEAH, PRETTY UNUSUAL THAT WE DON’T GET THOSE KINDS OF INSTRUCTIONS, BUT THAT KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT’S GOING ON THERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. SO STILL A LOT GOING ON. WE’LL STAY ON THAT STORY THROUG
Man detained after allegedly robbing a Taco Bell, crashing vehicle into Sacramento-area home
Updated: 10:28 PM PDT Sep 26, 2025
Sacramento deputies have detained a man suspected of an armed robbery Friday, hours after law enforcement established a perimeter in an Arden-Arcade neighborhood. Deputies responded around 4 p.m. to the report of a robbery at a Taco Bell in the 4300 block of Sunrise Boulevard. Officials said a deputy spotted the suspect and initiated a short pursuit. The pursuit ended when the suspect crashed into a house. It’s unclear if the home sustained any damage.Just after 5 p.m., the sheriff’s office said deputies had established a perimeter in the 4300 block of Rio Tinto Avenue. Around that time, the sheriff’s office said deputies were working to evacuate nearby homes and the SWAT team was responding. The San Juan Unified School District said four schools in the area were under precautionary shelter-in-place orders in connection with the search. The four schools are Whitney Avenue Elementary, Pasadena Avenue Elementary, Arcade Middle and Mira Loma High. After school activities were held indoors until law enforcement gave an all-clear.Around 7:45 p.m., officials said a 35-year-old man was detained in connection with the robbery. He was found under a deck in the 3800 block of Robie Lee Way.The sheriff’s office identified the suspect as Donald Caviness. He was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail for robbery, resisting or obstructing, and evading a police officer and driving in a reckless manner. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Sacramento deputies have detained a man suspected of an armed robbery Friday, hours after law enforcement established a perimeter in an Arden-Arcade neighborhood.
Deputies responded around 4 p.m. to the report of a robbery at a Taco Bell in the 4300 block of Sunrise Boulevard.
Officials said a deputy spotted the suspect and initiated a short pursuit. The pursuit ended when the suspect crashed into a house. It’s unclear if the home sustained any damage.
Just after 5 p.m., the sheriff’s office said deputies had established a perimeter in the 4300 block of Rio Tinto Avenue.
Around that time, the sheriff’s office said deputies were working to evacuate nearby homes and the SWAT team was responding.
The San Juan Unified School District said four schools in the area were under precautionary shelter-in-place orders in connection with the search. The four schools are Whitney Avenue Elementary, Pasadena Avenue Elementary, Arcade Middle and Mira Loma High. After school activities were held indoors until law enforcement gave an all-clear.
Around 7:45 p.m., officials said a 35-year-old man was detained in connection with the robbery. He was found under a deck in the 3800 block of Robie Lee Way.
The sheriff’s office identified the suspect as Donald Caviness. He was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail for robbery, resisting or obstructing, and evading a police officer and driving in a reckless manner.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Man accused of shooting at authorities during local standoff receives additional charges
A man accused of firing shots at federal officers during a standoff at a local hotel last month has been indicted on additional charges.
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Andre Jordan II, 34, was indicted Tuesday on assault of a federal agent with a deadly weapon, attempted murder of a federal agent, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to our news partner WBNS TV in Columbus.
An arrest warrant was issued for Jordan on Aug. 8 for the murder of “beloved” Ohio chef and father of two, Bryan Morris Jr.
As previously reported by News Center 7, the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) tracked him to the Quality Inn in Springfield on Aug.14.
TRENDING STORIES:
According to charging documents, law enforcement announced their presence to Jordan at the hotel, who then looked out the window.
“Following additional announcements, Jordan allegedly fired a shot through the window toward the pool area in the vicinity of officers and then fired an additional round through the front door of the room toward positioned officers,” the spokesperson said.
Officers went into the stairwell at the end of the hall for cover, the spokesperson added.
Several people, including children, left the hotel room, and Jordan allegedly continued firing shots.
Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliot previously told News Center 7 that it doesn’t appear that any law enforcement returned fire.
Springfield Police Division SWAT Team then responded to the scene, and hostage negotiators got in contact with Jordan, according to a previous News Center 7 report.
Jordan surrendered without further incident after an hours-long standoff and was arrested.
His next court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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(FOX40.COM) — Several law enforcement agencies are involved in a standoff with a suspect who is believed to be armed on a rooftop.
At around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Citrus Heights Police Department, Folsom Police Department, and Roseville Police Department responded to an area near Sunrise Boulevard. The reason for the response is unclear, however, a suspect is reportedly armed and positioned on the roof of an apartment building.
As of 10:30 p.m., several roads were closed at Old Auburn Road and Sunrise Boulevard.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
Veronica Catlin
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Two people died in North Long Beach on Monday morning, leading to an apparent standoff between Long Beach SWAT officers and a suspected gunman.
The series of events began at 11:15 a.m., when Long Beach police responded to a reported shooting on the 300 block of East 63rd Street.
Upon arriving, they discovered a woman with gunshot wounds to the upper body and a man with unknown injuries, the department said in a statement. The Long Beach Fire Department transported the woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead; the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims’ identities have not been released.
A possible male suspect fled the scene to a nearby building, where officers established a perimeter and attempted to contact him, according to the statement. SWAT officers were called in to help, and they were on scene as of 3:30 p.m.
The police had released no further information about the incident as of Monday afternoon.
The motive for the shooting is unknown, and an investigation is ongoing.
Karen Garcia
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A man was charged with murder on suspicion of killing his neighbors at a California nudist resort, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced Tuesday afternoon in a news conference.Michael Royce Sparks, 62, is facing two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of missing couple Daniel and Stephanie Menard, who are 79 and 73, authorities said.The couple was last seen on Aug. 24 at their home in the Olive Dell Ranch resort in San Bernardino County. Human remains were found underneath Sparks’ home after he was arrested last week, following a tense and lengthy standoff.Police have said they believe the remains are those of the Menards, who lived next door.“We know they’re dead, and we know there’s two victims,” Anderson said about the reasoning for the charges.Sparks is set to appear in court Wednesday and is ineligible for bail, jail records show. CNN has been unable to identify an attorney for Sparks or locate family members.Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber said one of Sparks’ relatives led them to him. Hours prior to his arrest last week, a family member called police saying he was involved in the Menards’ disappearance.He “had admitted to killing two people and was threatening suicide,” Tolber said about Sparks.“I believe that there may have been other people that were texted, but the initial call that started our focus on him was from the family,” Tolber added.Officials couldn’t discuss a potential motive for the killings and Anderson said it did not appear to be planned.A couple vanishesPolice had been looking for the couple in the hills and canyon area around Olive Dell Ranch. The resort is between the southern California cities of Redlands and Colton, about 65 miles east of Los Angeles.The search began after a friend who lives in the resort became worried for the Menards when they didn’t attend Sunday church service as usual. Their dog Cuddles, a white shih tzu, remains missing, police said on Tuesday.Irene Engkraf, who identified herself as the person who contacted police about the Menards, told reporters last week that she saw the their car sitting “abandoned” down the road from their home.When she entered the couple’s home using a spare key, Engkraf said she saw Stephanie’s purse and both of the Menards’ phones. Then she called 911 and hospitals in the area, searching for news of her friends.A tip led to suspect’s arrestAfter receiving a tip from Sparks’ family, police locked down the resort because they learned that he could be armed and barricaded, Tolber said.Officers had been looking for him for several hours when they used a battering ram and a drone to search Sparks’ home, police said. They located him with a camera used to evaluate sewer blockages, Redlands Police Department spokesman Carl Baker said Friday.He had been hiding inside a 5-foot deep concrete space under the home, which forced officers to remove the front wall of the house, Baker said.Anderson, the district attorney, described the space as similar to a “homemade basement” area underneath the mobile home.When officers discovered him, Sparks, who was armed and barricaded, attempted to shoot himself but his weapon misfired, police said. After “lengthy negotiations” with officers, Sparks surrendered voluntarily, Baker said.A day after Sparks was arrested, firefighters and cadaver dogs found human remains under his home and spent several days searching the site, police said.The search took days because of the state of the property, its potential collapse and the need to remove debris with heavy equipment.Tolber declined to discuss more details about the remains and noted that police don’t have a reason to believe there are other victims.
A man was charged with murder on suspicion of killing his neighbors at a California nudist resort, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced Tuesday afternoon in a news conference.
Michael Royce Sparks, 62, is facing two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of missing couple Daniel and Stephanie Menard, who are 79 and 73, authorities said.
The couple was last seen on Aug. 24 at their home in the Olive Dell Ranch resort in San Bernardino County. Human remains were found underneath Sparks’ home after he was arrested last week, following a tense and lengthy standoff.
Police have said they believe the remains are those of the Menards, who lived next door.
“We know they’re dead, and we know there’s two victims,” Anderson said about the reasoning for the charges.
Sparks is set to appear in court Wednesday and is ineligible for bail, jail records show. CNN has been unable to identify an attorney for Sparks or locate family members.
Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber said one of Sparks’ relatives led them to him. Hours prior to his arrest last week, a family member called police saying he was involved in the Menards’ disappearance.
He “had admitted to killing two people and was threatening suicide,” Tolber said about Sparks.
“I believe that there may have been other people that were texted, but the initial call that started our focus on him was from the family,” Tolber added.
Officials couldn’t discuss a potential motive for the killings and Anderson said it did not appear to be planned.
Police had been looking for the couple in the hills and canyon area around Olive Dell Ranch. The resort is between the southern California cities of Redlands and Colton, about 65 miles east of Los Angeles.
The search began after a friend who lives in the resort became worried for the Menards when they didn’t attend Sunday church service as usual. Their dog Cuddles, a white shih tzu, remains missing, police said on Tuesday.
Irene Engkraf, who identified herself as the person who contacted police about the Menards, told reporters last week that she saw the their car sitting “abandoned” down the road from their home.
When she entered the couple’s home using a spare key, Engkraf said she saw Stephanie’s purse and both of the Menards’ phones. Then she called 911 and hospitals in the area, searching for news of her friends.
After receiving a tip from Sparks’ family, police locked down the resort because they learned that he could be armed and barricaded, Tolber said.
Officers had been looking for him for several hours when they used a battering ram and a drone to search Sparks’ home, police said. They located him with a camera used to evaluate sewer blockages, Redlands Police Department spokesman Carl Baker said Friday.
He had been hiding inside a 5-foot deep concrete space under the home, which forced officers to remove the front wall of the house, Baker said.
Anderson, the district attorney, described the space as similar to a “homemade basement” area underneath the mobile home.
When officers discovered him, Sparks, who was armed and barricaded, attempted to shoot himself but his weapon misfired, police said. After “lengthy negotiations” with officers, Sparks surrendered voluntarily, Baker said.
A day after Sparks was arrested, firefighters and cadaver dogs found human remains under his home and spent several days searching the site, police said.
The search took days because of the state of the property, its potential collapse and the need to remove debris with heavy equipment.
Tolber declined to discuss more details about the remains and noted that police don’t have a reason to believe there are other victims.
Sacramento police in standoff with armed man near zoo, Funderland Amusement Park
Sacramento police are in a standoff with an armed man in the Land Park area.Officers went to the area near Land Park Drive and 17th Avenue after receiving reports of a man with a gun, police said. The intersection is located by the Sacramento Zoo and Funderland Amusement Park. Police did not release details on whether these locations are being impacted, but multiple people called KCRA 3 saying they are under a shelter-in-place and cannot leave Funderland.Officers are currently negotiating with the man, police said.This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as the story develops.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
Sacramento police are in a standoff with an armed man in the Land Park area.
Officers went to the area near Land Park Drive and 17th Avenue after receiving reports of a man with a gun, police said.
The intersection is located by the Sacramento Zoo and Funderland Amusement Park. Police did not release details on whether these locations are being impacted, but multiple people called KCRA 3 saying they are under a shelter-in-place and cannot leave Funderland.
Officers are currently negotiating with the man, police said.
This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as the story develops.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
(FOX40.COM) — The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is currently engaged in a standoff after a man fled a traffic stop.
On Tuesday evening, deputies said a man who was pulled over fled the scene on foot and is currently in a vacant apartment at 1100 Howe Avenue. The standoff lasted for several hours.
At around 10 p.m. deputies said the suspects whereabouts were unknown.
Veronica Catlin
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Long Beach police said Monday that a person killed during a standoff with officers last month was a 17-year-old boy.
On the night of April 26, police were called to a home in the 6800 block of Cerritos Avenue, where a male with a gun was reported to have broken in and demanded items from a minor and two adults inside, the Long Beach Police Department said in a statement.
The suspect, found in the yard of the residence, was believed to be armed, police said.
“Officers engaged in verbal de-escalation for over an hour as they tried to negotiate the suspect’s surrender,” the statement reads.
A replica firearm was recovered by Long Beach police at the scene of a fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy.
(Long Beach Police Department)
A SWAT team had been called in and was “on scene and preparing to deploy” when an officer shot the boy, according to police.
The teen was struck once in the upper body. He died at a local hospital.
Officers recovered a replica firearm from the scene, the police statement said.
The teenager was from San Bernardino. His name was not released.
Officers wore body cameras, and the Police Department will make video available to the public after it is reviewed, the department said.
On Monday, the Police Department said detectives had learned there was “an accomplice” in the home invasion who fled before officers arrived.
Iskay Mota, 18, of Modesto, was arrested Wednesday and transported to the Long Beach city jail, where he was booked on suspicion of robbery and held on $100,000 bail, according to police and Los Angeles County inmate records.
The shooting is being investigated by the California Department of Justice, which independently probes all fatal police shootings of unarmed civilians.
Hailey Branson-Potts
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Photo: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
HILLSBORO, Ore. — A wanted felon has been arrested after a standoff in Hillsboro. Washington County SWAT was serving a warrant at a home when the armed suspect refused to surrender. No other people were in the home. After several hours, officers used chemical gas in the home along with an explosive to breach the door. A drone was flown inside of the house. 31-year-old Elijah Duane Figure was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm, possession of fentanyl, and unlawful use of a vehicle.
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Annette Newell
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An aggravated robbery suspect who fled from officers in Dallas is in a standoff with Colleyville police Friday and nearby residents are being asked to shelter in place, according to authorities.
The Wichita Eagle
An aggravated robbery suspect who fled from officers in Dallas is in a standoff with Colleyville police Friday and nearby residents are being asked to shelter in place, according to authorities.
At around 11 a.m., residents in the 3700 block of Brentwood Drive were told to stay inside their homes as officers were assisting authorities pursuing the suspect, Colleyville police said in a post on X.
The suspect, who was armed, fled from his vehicle and was traveling on foot, according to police.
Officers contained the suspect in a perimeter and are actively negotiating with him, police said in an update at 12:30 p.m., but residents in the area are still being advised to stay inside and lock their doors.
The suspect, pursued from Dallas, is wanted in an aggravated robbery and armed carjacking.
This story was originally published March 29, 2024, 1:39 PM.
Photo Courtesy Portland Police
PORTLAND, Ore. – A man wanted by Portland police is now in custody after a standoff.
The arrest was made after hours of negotiations in the Northwest District.
Police used a variety of methods, including distraction devices and gas, to try to get the man out of the apartment where he was barricaded.
He’ll be identified once he’s booked into jail.
The incident began around 9 a.m., when officers responded to reports of disturbances on Northwest 28th place.
Police say the man was armed with a knife and tried to enter a residence.
That’s when someone inside the residence fired a shot at him.
He then fled and barricaded himself inside another residence.
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