Sylmar Man Kills Himself After Holding Off Police for 9 Hours

A man despondent over the breakup of his marriage barricaded himself in his Sylmar house, keeping police at bay for nearly nine hours with bursts of gunfire before fatally shooting himself early Monday, authorities said.

The gunfire briefly closed part of the Foothill Freeway.

Brian Blatz, 35, was found dead about 5 a.m. Monday, about an hour after tear gas was fired into his home in the 15900 block of Joseph Court near the Foothill Freeway, Los Angeles Police Officer Dennis Watkins said.

During the standoff with police, Blatz repeatedly threatened to kill himself and fired 50 to 60 shots at about 40 officers in the street. No one was injured and police did not shoot back at Blatz, who appeared to be intoxicated, Watkins said.

Police went to Blatz’s home about 8:30 p.m. Sunday after a caller reported shots fired in the neighborhood. When officers arrived, they heard several shots from inside the house and radioed for help.

More officers arrived and surrounded the house. Police telephoned Blatz in an attempt to talk him out of the house, but as negotiations wore on Blatz appeared increasingly intoxicated and more resolved on killing himself, Watkins said.

Blatz, a general contractor, was upset over a recent separation from his wife of 11 years, Watkins said.

About 3 a.m., Blatz began firing a semiautomatic rifle at officers from second-story windows and police decided to try to storm the house, Watkins said. Tear gas was fired into the house about 4 a.m.

When officers entered about an hour later, they found Blatz dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the head, Watkins said.

Eastbound lanes of the Foothill Freeway between the Golden State Freeway and Roxford Street were closed from 4 to 6 a.m. and some neighbors were evacuated, police said.