Armed suspect at large after SWAT team surrounds Winnetka home for hours

WINNETKA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A suspect remained at large after he pointed a gun at police officers and then broke into a stranger's home in Winnetka, prompting a SWAT team to surround the residence for hours before entering, authorities said.

The sequence of events began at 10:48 p.m. Thursday when officers tried to stop the man in the area of Oso Avenue and Leadwell Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspect allegedly aimed the firearm at police before running away and making his way into the nearby residence.

A woman who was inside the home ran outside and told the officers that the intruder was hiding inside.

A SWAT team responded to the scene and established a perimeter. About 4:45 a.m., they fired tear gas into the residence, LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said. About 90 minutes later, the SWAT officers searched the inside of the structure and determined the suspect had escaped.

It was unclear what had initially prompted the officers to stop the man. A description of the suspect was not available.