A body was found inside a home on The Strand in Hermosa Beach following a welfare check that led to a barricade lasting more than seven hours and the arrest of a well-dressed suspect, authorities said Sunday.
A Hermosa Beach police official at the scene referred to the suspect as a woman.
Officers responded at 12:37 p.m. Saturday to a home in the 500 block of The Strand to conduct a welfare check, according to Hermosa Beach officials.
“The reporting party stated that a tenant who lives alone had not been heard from in several days,” according to the statement.
A realtor requested the welfare check after not hearing from the homeowner, KCAL9 reported.
“Upon arrival, officers observed evidence suggesting a possible deceased person was inside the residence,” city officials said. “The property manager allowed officers access to the location, where they encountered an individual inside who was not the tenant.”
That person allegedly was uncooperative and made statements indicating possibly being armed, then barricaded inside the home.
SWAT personnel from the Manhattan Beach Police Department, El Segundo Police Department and Hawthorne Police Department responded to assist. Crisis negotiators established contact with the individual and negotiated for several hours in an effort to secure a safe surrender.
Approximately seven hours after the initial dispatch, the individual was safely taken into custody.
News video showed the suspect dressed in what appeared to be male formal attire — a dark suit, white shirt, dark tie and dark sunglasses, with hair tied back in a bun under a fedora.
Officers subsequently served a search warrant at the residence and located a man dead inside the home. The case was being treated as a homicide and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Callers who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.