A man is dead after allegedly attacking deputies with a machete in Riverside County on Tuesday.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released, held a 12-year-old child hostage during the deadly incident, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities responded to a domestic dispute at a home on the 800 block of Minor Street in San Jacinto around 12:56 p.m.
The suspect’s girlfriend told authorities her boyfriend was behaving erratically and armed with a machete.
Although she was able to escape the home, her 12-year-old son was being held hostage by the suspect, officials said.
During an attempt to rescue the boy, the suspect struck a deputy in the head with a wooden object and swung his machete toward another nearby deputy.
At one point, the man successfully struck a deputy with a machete which prompted deputies to shoot at the suspect.
The boy was safely rescued from the residence. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, officials said.
One deputy was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while a second deputy was treated at the scene.
The deputies involved will be placed on administrative leave as the case remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Riverside County District Attorney Investigator J.R. Ferrer or Riverside County Sheriff’s Investigator Nelson Gomez at 951-955-2777.