Fresno and Kings County tactical units began surrounding a home on the corner of South Oleander and West Gladys Avenues in Raisin City Tuesday morning after a man decided to lock himself inside. The siege ended just before 6 p.m.
Lt. Shawn Erwin with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office says law enforcement officers entered the residence and made contact with the man.
"He was compliant when they ordered him out of the house, and he was taken into custody without incident," Erwin said. He was handed over to the King's County Sheriff's office who wanted the man from the start.
The man's identity has not been released.
Kings County deputies say the man is a person of interest in a homicide investigation that started on Oct. 6, when deputies discovered the body of 24-year-old Jesus "Jesse" Reyes of Oxnard, California. The body was found on the 9500 block of Denver Avenue in Kings County.
"Some of our detectives came up to contact some witnesses at a residence and we're interested in a particular person of interest in our homicide," Don Deeds with the Kings County Sheriff's Office said.
Deeds said deputies saw the man come out of the residence but go back inside. That's when they requested a warrant from Kings County and called for Fresno County deputies to assist.
Neighbors like Juana Gonzalez watched it all unfold from their front yard. Some say they saw the first deputy vehicle at around 8:30 Tuesday morning.
"I've lived here for more than 20 years and this is the first time this happened," Gonzalez said. "When I came here and I saw the sheriff's department, the SWAT team, I was like 'oh my god.'"
Gonzalez has three kids that go to Raisin City Elementary School. The school is less than a half-mile from the home law enforcement focused their resources on. Gonzalez said the school went on lock-down.
"They hold them the school was locked down because something was going on in the city," Gonzalez said. "They did a great job - the school, everybody."
Gonzalez got a good look at the man as he was being taken away by deputies and said she did not know him personally, but has seen him around town. Neighbors say he's been living in the home for three to four months.
Fresno county deputies worked late into Tuesday night after they discovered nearly 50 pounds of processed marijuana inside the house the man locked himself in. They also found an illegal marijuana grow at a nearby property. Authorities took 35 marijuana plants from the scene. Deputies say the cache was worth about $500,000.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is handing the narcotics investigation. The Kings County Sheriff's Office is handling the homicide investigation. Investigators are working to see if there's a connection.
