Placentia : Man Takes Ex-Girlfriend Hostage, Then Gives Up

A man surrendered after he allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend’s house and held her hostage at gunpoint for more than two hours Friday, police said.

Steven Mathew Morrison, 28, of Costa Mesa was booked into County Jail on suspicion of burglary, kidnaping and assault with a deadly weapon, Sgt. Steve Toth said. Bail was set at $25,000.

Morrison, apparently still distraught over a breakup with his girlfriend a year ago, went to her home in the 2300 block of Mohican Avenue at 11:45 p.m. Thursday, police said. Armed with a semiautomatic .22-caliber rifle, Morrison refused to allow the woman, whose name was not disclosed, to leave but did allow her to call police, Toth said.

Police set up a perimeter around the house, where the woman lives alone, and made numerous telephone calls to Morrison. Members of the department’s hostage negotiating team, with the help of Morrison’s father, persuaded him to put down his rifle and surrender around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Toth said.