PCH reopens in Malibu, assault suspect in custody after hourslong standoff

MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) -- An assault with a deadly weapon suspect was taken into custody Wednesday morning after an hourslong standoff that prompted the closure of the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

The incident started around 1 a.m. when deputies noticed a vehicle with expired tags parked in a no stopping zone. Deputies then determined that the driver was wanted for violating parole.

That's when the man sprayed deputies with a fire extinguisher at PCH and Westward Beach Road, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The deputies were not injured.

The suspect eventually ended up barricading himself inside the vehicle less than a mile away. That prompted the closure of both sides of the PCH between Busch Drive and Heathercliff Road in the Point Dume area for several hours.

AIR7 was over the standoff scene as authorities surrounded the vehicle, which appeared to be an older model van along the side of the road. During the standoff, the suspect set items on fire inside the van and threw them out.

"We called our sheriff's enforcement bureau and they responded and provided less lethal and was able to take him into custody without further incident," said Captain Jennifer Seetoo.

He was eventually taken into custody around 9 a.m. Both sides of PCH were also reopened to drivers.

For several hours, traffic was diverted around the closure and snarled the morning commute for many.