A Carlsbad man out on bail in connection with a prior criminal case was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of threatening a neighbor with a machete and trying to commandeer her car while her baby was strapped in a child-safety seat.
Louie Patrick Duran Jr., 43, was taken into custody at his home in the 1300 block of Laurel Tree Lane about 9:30 a.m.
On Dec. 29, Duran allegedly approached his neighbor as she was getting into her car outside her home and thrust the blade of a machete into the driver’s side door, preventing her from closing it, Carlsbad police Lt. Marc Reno said.
The would-be thief, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet that hid his face, then demanded that the woman turn over her keys and relinquish the vehicle, he said. Instead, she screamed and grabbed the weapon, cutting her hands and prompting the assailant to run off, the lieutenant said.
Officers searched the neighborhood with help from a sheriff’s helicopter crew but were unable to find him that day, Reno said.
Based on the victim’s description, detectives eventually identified Duran — who lives down the street from her — as the alleged perpetrator.
At the time of his arrest, Duran, a probationer, was awaiting trial in connection with a SWAT standoff that played out at his home on Nov. 7, the lieutenant said.
Early that afternoon, Duran allegedly holed up in the residence after allegedly dousing his roommate with pepper spray and threatening him with an assault rifle during a fight. The suspect refused to surrender for more than five hours before finally walking outside and getting arrested.
Duran was booked into county jail in Vista this afternoon on suspicion of attempted carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, child cruelty and committing a felony while released from custody on his own recognizance.
He was being held on $150,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday.
— City News Service
