Coroner's Office Identifies Man Who Died In Lancaster Barricade Fire
LANCASTER (CBSLA.com) — The man who was found dead after a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department SWAT team tear gas shot tear gas into a Lancaster home, and a fire broke out, has been identified as a 35-year-old convicted felon.
Michael Leroy Soares, a Lancaster resident, died in the Thursday incident, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said Saturday. How the fire started and the exact cause of Soares' death have not been determined.
A Special Weapons and Tactics Team was sent to the home in the 45000 block of Gadsden Avenue about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, after deputies had gone there to arrest "a known felon in possession of a firearm," the Sheriff's Department said.
After Soares refused to surrender, and nearby homes were evacuated, the SWAT team "introduced (tear) gas into the residence, and ultimately a fire began inside the location," the agency's statement said.
When deputies entered the home at about 11:45 p.m., they put out the blaze and found Soares dead, according to the statement. Deputies reported finding a sawed-off shotgun in the home.
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