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911 Operators Praised For Response To Deadly Standoff In Pasadena

PASADENA (CBSLA.com/AP) — Two 911 operators Monday were being hailed as heroes for bringing a peaceful end to an armed standoff in Pasadena that left three people dead and two others wounded.

KNX 1070's Claudia Peschiutta reports 911 recordings may help answer some outstanding questions in what investigators say was a deadly shooting that was the result of a long-standing tenant-landlord dispute.

911 Operators Praised For Response To Deadly Standoff In Pasadena

Pasadena emergency services operator Diane Marin told a press conference Monday that the barricaded suspect called and said, "I killed someone," according to The Associated Press.

"I couldn't react emotionally," Marin told reporters.

The incident was first reported at 4:20 p.m. Saturday in the 1700 block of Summit Avenue when neighbors heard shots being fired, officials said.

Three victims - a 91-year-old man, his 59-year-old daughter and a 31-year-old Good Samaritan - were found dead at the scene.

During the 20-minute phone call, Marin persuaded John Izeal Smith to surrender while another operator relayed information to officers surrounding the house where he was holed up.

Police took the 44-year-old Smith into custody without firing a shot.

Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said investigators are still working on a motive for the shooting.

"Preliminary information was that it was in fact a landlord-tenant dispute," Sanchez said. "Subsequent information indicated that there might have been a long-term relationship between the suspect and some of the people in the home. We have not yet firmed that up."

Smith is being held without bail and is scheduled for a court appearance Tuesday.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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