A man who barricaded himself for nearly 20 hours inside a Lancaster mobile home was fatally shot by deputies Wednesday night after they say he held a gun to the head of a baby while law enforcement personnel were trying to communicate with him.
The shooting occurred around 9 p.m., several hours after the suspect was involved in a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds of 132 mph.
The suspect, who has not been named by law enforcement but was identified as “Fernando” by a family member, was treated by medical personnel before being pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies say a firearm was recovered and the child was not injured during the incident.
The events began around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday when California Highway Patrol officers tried to stop a speeding Kia SUV, but the driver took off and eventually fired several rounds at them.
The pursuit came to an end shortly after 1 a.m. at the Lido Estates Mobile Home Community on 26th Street East near East Avenue I.
That’s when authorities say the suspect exited his vehicle while holding a gun to the head of a small child.
The suspect barricaded himself inside the residence with the child, prompting the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Enforcement Bureau to take over the situation.
Ellandra Rosas, who identified herself as the suspect’s aunt, said the child was just over a year old and was her nephew Fernando’s son.
“Fernando, please get out of the house, please. I want to see you. I want to see the baby,” she said during the standoff.
Rosas also said Fernando seemed fine and was playing with the child when she talked to him earlier Tuesday.