Man Arrested After Standoff at Motel
A seven-hour standoff at an El Cajon motel between police and a fugitive wanted on drug-related charges ended in the man’s arrest Saturday night, authorities said.
Police received a tip about 12:30 p.m. Saturday that Carrol King Mendez, 32, was in a room at the Ha’Penny Inn in the 1500 block of East Main Street with “a couple of ounces of cocaine” and a pistol, El Cajon Police Sgt. Ed Forbes said.
Police determined there was a $20,000 warrant out for Mendez’s arrest after he failed to appear in a San Diego court earlier this year on drug-related charges, Forbes said.
After trying to contact Mendez by telephone, El Cajon police went to the motel, where they found him barricaded in his room. About 30 people were evacuated from the motel, and the San Diego Police SWAT team was called, Forbes said.
After several attempts to persuade Mendez to surrender, the SWAT team used tear gas to gain entry into the motel room about 7:45 p.m. Mendez was arrested without incident.
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