A man suspected of assaulting his wife at their Vista home Wednesday holed up inside when deputies arrived to question him about the alleged domestic violence, authorities reported.
The incident prompted a 4 1/2-hour SWAT standoff that ended in the afternoon when authorities determined the suspect was no longer in the house.
The purported assault in the 300 block of Apollo Drive was reported shortly before 8:30 a.m., according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. No serious injuries were reported.
When patrol personnel arrived, the alleged victim had left the house along with the couple’s grandchildren, Sgt. Gavin Lanning said.
After the suspect failed for about 90 minutes to respond to deputies’ orders to exit the home and surrender, they called in special weapons and tactics personnel to take up positions around it, the sergeant said.
Several neighboring residences were evacuated as a precaution as the situation unfolded.
About 2:30 p.m., deputies discovered that the suspect had left his home and escaped, sheriff’s Sgt. Matthew Carpenter said. It was not immediately clear how they made that determination.
– City News Service
Updated 3:25 p.m. March 22, 2023