San Bernardino police standoff ends with suspect in custody; school lockdown lifted

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspect who was barricaded inside a San Bernardino home was taken into custody Tuesday after an hours-long police standoff that forced the lockdown of a nearby elementary school.

According to investigators, the incident began overnight when the suspect broke into the window of a small home near Date and Erwin streets, where his estranged girlfriend and his children were staying.

The suspect "threatened the family not to leave, or they were going to be killed," said San Bernardino Police Lt. Rich Lawhead.

The estranged girlfriend called police around 6 a.m. When officers arrived, they were able to get everyone, except for the suspect, out of the home safely, including an infant and a teenager.

Authorities say the suspect was sleeping during part of the standoff, which caused the standoff to drag on longer.

"He had a long rifle, as well as some sort of knife," Lawhead said.

Jefferson Hunt Elementary School was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure during the incident. No injuries were reported.

The barricade situation finally ended around noon. The suspect ran into the backyard, but he was taken down by a police K-9.

The suspect was taken to an area hospital to be treated for a dog bite to the lower right leg, and then he was booked into jail.