Castroville standoff ends with suspect in custody

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- UPDATE OCT. 4, 2022 at 11:04 AM- The Monterey County Sheriff's Department confirmed with KION that 39-year-old Javier Ruiz was arrested for attempted murder and felony child endangerment charges on Sunday morning.

Deputies responded to the scene around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning on Mead Street. According to the Sheriff's Department, Ruiz was firing rounds with a rifle inside the apartment.

The woman who was inside the apartment with Ruiz called deputies for help from a locked bathroom. The Sheriff's Department did say three children were in the bathroom with her. The children were 4, 6 and 16 years old.

Deputies helped the woman and her three kids escape the bathroom window to safety.

According to the Sheriff's Department, the SWAT team and bomb squad was called out to the apartment. A bomb squad robot was used to open the door to the apartment and give a phone to the man who barricaded himself inside the apartment.

A hostage negotiator was on the phone with Ruiz and negotiations were successful. After an eight hour standoff, Ruiz was taken to the hospital and later booked into the Monterey County Jail.

A shelter in place was ordered for the apartment complex and residences on Mead and McDougall streets during the standoff. The shelter in place was lifted once deputies cleared the scene.

UPDATE OCT. 2, 2022 at 12:28 p.m. - The suspect, who was armed with a rifle, is now in custody after a hostage negotiator entered the apartment, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say they originally responded to a domestic violence call.

Investigators said they're still investigating and are working to reopen the area to traffic.

ORIGINAL STORY

Monterey County Sheriff deputies have multiple streets blocked off in Castroville after reports of a subject barricaded in an apartment with a firearm.

People are asked to avoid the area of Mead and McDougall as they try to convince the individual to leave the home.

So far they've only been described as a male by deputies on scene.

The family initially inside the apartment was evacuated well before 10 a.m., according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators said none of the family had injuries and everyone living near Mead and McDougall is asked to shelter in place.

It's also unknown if the man in the apartment has any injuries.

This is a developing story