A peaceful conclusion was reached Saturday when a woman with mental issues, holed up inside a Culver City home with at least four firearms inside, surrendered after a standoff lasting at least three hours, authorities said.
Officers were dispatched at 3:02 a.m. to a residence in the 3400 block of Cattaraugus Avenue regarding a residential burglary in progress, Culver City Police Lt. Andrew Ballante said.
Several nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
“They (officers) met with the homeowner who told them he encountered a female that was unknown to him inside of his bathroom,” Ballante said. “The homeowner believed the female was still inside of the house and told officers there were four firearms, possibly unsecured, inside of the residence.”
As officers were trying to make contact with the woman, they noticed that she was collecting “various articles of property and displaying signs of someone possibly suffering from mental health issues,” he said.
In a standoff that lasted more than three hours, she ignored officers’ repeated requests to come outside to speak with them, he said.
“The officers’ efforts to de-escalate the situation eventually proved to be successful, as the female finally exited the residence and was safely taken into custody,” Ballante said. “It was ultimately determined the female was in fact suffering from mental health issues.”
She was taken to a local medical facility for further assessment, including a full psychiatric evaluation, Ballante said.