Suspect barricades himself in Costa Mesa home with 2 kids for 10 hours

A man who was believed to be armed with a gun barricaded himself inside a Costa Mesa home with his two children Wednesday following what police described as a domestic disturbance, but he surrendered after about a 10-hour standoff.

A woman who reported being assaulted around 12:30 a.m. was able to escape the home in the 3200 block of Dakota Avenue, according to Costa Mesa police. The couple’s two children, whose ages were not immediately known, remained inside the home with the suspect when officers arrived.

Police said the man had a registered firearm and threatened responding officers.

Nearby homes were evacuated as a SWAT team and K-9 units took positions around the residence. Traffic was also diverted from the area as a crisis-negotiation team communicated with the suspect, who surrendered peacefully just before 10:30 a.m.

Police said the children were recovered “safe and sound.”

Police said they notified the Newport Mesa Unified School District about the standoff since two schools are nearby, but there were no reports of disruptions at those campuses.

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