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Hummer Rammed Into San Dimas Motel

SAN DIMAS (CBSLA.com) — Several guests at a San Dimas motel had to be evacuated Friday after a man rammed his 2003 Hummer into a wall in an attempt to get into the room of his mother and sister, authorities said.

Richard Melendez, 28, of Bell, was arrested and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and related charges. Melendez is being held on $30,000, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials.

Deputies were called out to the Extended Stay America Hotel, 601 W. Bonita Ave., at 1:11 a.m., just in time to see Melendez drive his 2003 Hummer into the exterior wall of the hotel, authorities said. The Hummer struck the wall up to 10 times, eventually stopping partially inside the his mother and sister's room.

Melendez had apparently been pounding on the door to his mother and sister's room before resorting to the use of his Hummer, deputies said.

Melendez, who fleeing guests reported was armed with a gun, was intoxicated and uncooperative with sheriff's deputies and had to be subdued with the aid of a stun gun, according to sheriff's officials. No guns were found at the scene.

No one in the hotel was injured. Melendez's wife and four children, who ranged in age from 1 to 6, were asleep in a room across the hall at the time of the crash.

Guests in adjacent rooms in the three-story hotel were evacuated, and the Los Angeles County Building Inspector was called out to assess the damage, authorities said.

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