Panorama City Stabbing Suspect In Custody Following Wild Pursuit, Standoff
GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — The LAPD has arrested a man responsible for a quadruple stabbing that included two children in Panorama City, who later led police on a pursuit then standoff. The man was taken into custody just before 8 p.m. after a long day on the run.
The stabbing unfolded just after 1 p.m. Sunday in the 8800 block of Tobias Avenue.
Police originally said two woman and an 11-month-old girl were transported to the hospital. CBSLA's Cristy Fajardo later learned from police that 21-year-old George Gomez stabbed his on-and-off girlfriend, her sister, a 3-year-old girl and a 3-month-old. One of those victims is in critical condition, the others are in serious condition at a local hospital.
CBS2's Erica Nochlin reported on the stabbing earlier.
The chase started around 3:30 p.m. and led police through the winding roads of Glendale. The pursuit ended on Chevy Chase Drive after the suspect overturned his vehicle making a wide turn. He managed to get out of the car quickly and escape under tree cover.
Desmond Shaw was above in Sky2 and spotted the suspect climbing a large home under construction near Buckingham Road.
The situation turned into a standoff with police with the suspect sitting on construction beams a few stories high. Police feared he was armed at the time, but no weapon was found.
Watch full pursuit and standoff here
Several officers, including a K-9 unit began to come up the hillside and got close to the suspect at around 4:30 p.m.
Just before 5 p.m., police said they were calling in a crisis negotiation team and SWAT. They also brought his mother in who helped coax him down after the four-hour standoff.
His mother said he was distraught over a breakup with his first love.
"Once he met her, his grades went down and school no longer interested him," Mariana Gonzalez said in Spanish.
Another family member took a call from Gomez earlier in the day saying he may have been suicidal.
Gomez was arrested and is facing attempted murder charges.
