Gunman in Standoff at Apartment Complex Jailed : Shooting: Hector Garcia Walters, who held police at bay for seven hours Wednesday while sporadically opening fire, was finally subdued with pepper spray.

A 43-year-old man accused of spraying his apartment complex with gunfire Wednesday night during a dramatic seven-hour standoff with police was being held Thursday at Orange County Jail on suspicion of aggravated assault and felony malicious mischief, police said.

Hector Garcia Walters, who friends say had been depressed for several months, was finally subdued with pepper spray at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday after police stormed his apartment.

The standoff with SWAT members, which began about 5 p.m., forced dozens of neighbors to evacuate as gunshots sporadically rang out and dozens of police officers swarmed the sprawling Raintree Apartments on Tamarack Avenue.

Many residents said Thursday that the ordeal left them terrified and exhausted.

“We stayed home from work today,” said Sam Robles, who spent the morning doing laundry with his wife, Rosa. “We just couldn’t sleep last night.”

Also exhausted was Art Borquez, whose 13-year-old son, Aaron, was trapped for more than five hours inside their apartment as Walters, who lives in a unit nearby, fired shots.

“We were really getting scared because [Walters] was shooting at random, and my son was nearby and I couldn’t get to him,” Borquez said.

The teen-ager hid between a love seat and an aquarium. Police rescued him about 10 p.m. As soon as his son was safe, Borquez had to report to work driving a big rig to Fresno and back.

“I’m dead tired,” Borquez said. “But I didn’t want [Walters] to die. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

The standoff was one of the few dramas the normally tranquil apartment complex has experienced, residents said. Earlier this year, a Christmas tree caught on fire and burned two units in the same building as Walters’ apartment.

“Except for the Christmas tree and this latest incident, this has been a wonderful place to live,” said one 15-year resident, who asked not to be identified.

The neighbors said they saw Walters frequently by the swimming pool with his 11-year-old daughter, but none seemed to know him well. He lived with his sister, who was not home at the time of the standoff.

But for seven hours Wednesday, Walters was the focus of everyone’s attention as he reportedly fired about 50 shots into the doors, windows and walls of his apartment. Police called it a miracle that no one was injured besides Walters, who apparently cut himself while breaking things in his apartment.

“The walls were shot up, the contents of the refrigerator were all over the house and the furniture was busted,” Lt. Mike Messina said.

Walters had barricaded himself in a back bedroom and resisted arrest when police stormed his apartment, authorities said.

Messina said police recovered a 9-millimeter handgun.

Police detectives were busy Thursday afternoon recovering evidence in and outside of Walters’ second-story apartment. But they said they had no idea why Walters began shooting.

“We are still in the investigation stages,” said Detective Bill Smyser. “We are still trying to figure out what happened and why it happened.”

Messina said Walters “hasn’t offered any reason. He was obviously in a shook-up mental state.”

Walters was taken to Western Medical Center-Anaheim, where he was treated for his injuries, then taken to jail. His bail has been set at $25,000, and arraignment is scheduled for today in Fullerton Municipal Court.