Man arrested in Pismo Beach after barricading himself in neighbor’s apartment, police say
The Pismo Beach Police Department arrested a man Saturday who allegedly broke into a neighbor’s apartment in downtown Pismo Beach and barricaded himself inside.
The suspect broke into apartment in the 500 block of Cypress Street at about 8:47 a.m. Saturday and fought a person who had been asleep inside, according to Pismo Beach police Chief Jeff Smith.
Smith said a resident of the apartment informed police that one roommate owned weapons that were potentially unsecured.
At that point, “We did not know if we had an armed subject,” Smith said.
According to Smith, police contacted the man as he remained inside the apartment for much of the day.
The suspect’s wife said he was in the military and may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Smith.
“He had some recent episodes where he was struggling emotionally,” Smith said.
Police officers negotiated with the man over the phone, the police chief said.
“He made it clear that he wasn’t going to come outside,” Smith said.
The San Luis Obispo Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team then arrived and assisted with the surrender of the man, who was taken into custody at 4:33 p.m., according to Smith.
The man was taken to San Luis Obispo County Jail and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to Pismo Beach police.
Smith said the man will receive mental health services.
This story was originally published July 10, 2021 at 4:23 PM.
