SWAT team searches for burglary suspect at South LA building tented for fumigation

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A police SWAT team was searching for a possible burglary suspect Monday at a South Los Angeles apartment building that was tented for fumigation, authorities said.

A Los Angeles Fire Department hazardous materials team also responded to the location, in the 4000 block of Vermont Avenue, about 8:45 a.m. after fumigation company employees spotted the intruder, according to the LAPD.

The suspect, who was allegedly carrying a bag full of stolen property, reentered the structure.

After the tent was removed, a barricade situation ensued as Los Angeles Police Department officers set up a perimeter around the building.

LAPD SWAT personnel entered the structure shortly after noon as the search continued.

"They're going in with self-contained breathing apparatus, which would be similar to a SCUBA system, so they'll have their own air," said police Detective Meghan Aguilar. "If the suspect is in any sort of distress, there is an exit path for that person."

Monday had been scheduled as the last day of the building's fumigation, Aguilar said.

"So some of that gas has been released," she added. "We don't believe, at this point, that there's a medical emergency."

A description of the suspect was not available.