Seaside standoff ends with nobody found in house on Luzon Road
SEASIDE, Calif. (KION) UPDATE 3/25/2021 11:15 p.m. An hours-long SWAT situation in Seaside on Thursday ended with no suspect in hand as it turns out the house in question was actually empty.
Police in tactical gear surrounded a home on Luzon Road with weapons drawn and armored vehicles on standby. The Monterey County Sheriff's bomb squad was also called out, and even a drone was sent up for an overwatch.
This all happened in the lower Stilwell neighborhood in Seaside, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Presidio of Monterey Police.
"It started this morning when I was walking, my car is parked down there and I noticed that the neighbor's kitchen door was open. And I was aware that he had been gone for about two weeks to Camp Pendleton, so I was concerned and I called the police," said Lonnette Dorsey, a neighbor near the standoff location.
The details are still sparse, but witnesses in the neighborhood tell KION at some point, two Presidio officers arrived to the house and called for backup.
"At approximately 12:00, I get a call from my sister that the police were out there and the FBI and they were searching. And I guess there was nobody in there, but they were there five hours later for another six hours," said Dorsey.
It appears authorities believed someone was in the house and unwilling to come out. Witnesses say police used a loudspeaker yelling, "Come out with your hands up so we can talk about the situation." This lasted for over an hour.
At around 1:30 p.m., neighbors say they were evacuated by police. Witnesses also say they heard police use what sounded like flash bangs and smoke; at one point, you could see some of the smoke streaming out of the roof.
KION has been unable to confirm what exactly happened and the circumstances surrounding the situation. Calls made to the Presidio of Monterey and the Army Criminal Investigation Division were unreturned as of Thursday night.
Police had also warned residents to avoid exterior walls and windows during this time.
UPDATE 3/25/2021 5:45 p.m. Presidio of Monterey Police tell KION's crew at the scene that a standoff on Luzon Road is effectively over.
Law enforcement with tactical gear and assault rifles surrounded a house on Luzon Road near Guadalcanal several hours ago. KION's Josh Kristianto reports hearing an explosion that set off a car alarm and seeing smoke coming out of the house, but the cause of both is still unknown.
Police say they did not find anybody inside the house.
We are still working to independently confirm why police surrounded the house.
PREVIOUS STORY: The Presidio of Monterey Police Department is asking people to avoid the area around Luzon Road and Guadalcanal Road due to "police action," according to the housing community The Parks at Monterey Bay.
The area is part of the Ord Military Community's Lower Stilwell housing.
Police recommend anyone living in the area should avoid exterior walls, avoid windows and stay indoors.
KION has reached out to police and is working to gather more information. A crew is heading to the scene.
