PALMDALE – A kidnapping suspect who barricaded herself inside an apartment in Palmdale with her child — and live-streamed much of the ordeal — surrendered Thursday after a standoff with deputies that lasted about 19 hours.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Special Enforcement Bureau personnel responded at about 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, to an apartment building in the 38000 block of Fifth Street East, where a man and a woman wanted on suspicion of kidnapping barricaded themselves in a second-story unit, according to Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
The man was taken into custody by about 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20. But the female suspect remained in the apartment and could be seen holding a baby as she stepped onto the unit’s balcony.
The woman surrendered about noon Thursday, according to the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau. Details on the status of the child were not immediately made known.
Navarro-Suarez said surrounding apartments had been evacuated during the standoff out of an abundance of caution.
Dressed in a dark blue hoodie and black leggings with “Ghostbusters” images, the woman seemed defiant as she told friends and others via live- stream during the standoff that she did not receive a “fair trial” and had no plans to surrender.
“The only way that I leave here is with … the coroner,” she said, crying on and off. “I will not leave here in handcuffs.”
The live-stream ended after 1 a.m. Thursday. Authorities cut off power to the apartment early Thursday morning, Fox11 reported.
The woman, periodically cradling the young child in her arms, said she had been to court on unspecified charges and said the court system had failed her and her family.
“I don’t have family,” she lamented. “If I had family they would be here with me.”
It was not immediately know if she had lost custody of her children.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to add more details.
View this post on Instagram
AV Resident says
Another ‘victim’ of the courts? Through her own ignorance and stupidity, more than likely.
The victims here are the taxpayers.