Armed Man Barricaded With 2 Sons Surrenders

An armed man who barricaded himself and his two sons in his home for several hours surrendered to Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies Wednesday afternoon. The man and his sons were not harmed and no shots were fired.

Sheriff’s deputies identified the man as Wilson Aberin, a 46-year-old respiratory therapist at Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Aberin was distraught over marriage problems and was threatening to kill himself using one of at least three guns in his house in the 5500 block of Cedarhaven Drive, authorities said. Aberin and his wife, Noralyn, a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Woodland Hills, recently separated, deputies said.

During numerous phone conversations between Noralyn Aberin and her husband throughout the morning, Wilson told her: “I love you. I want you. Please come back. Don’t divorce me,” according to Gean Okada, a Sheriff’s Department crisis negotiator.

Wilson Aberin did not threaten his sons, who tried to prevent their father from killing himself, deputies said. Wilson Aberin’s eldest son, 13, came out of the house of his own accord at 9 a.m. Okada said both sons were reluctant to leave their father’s side, fearing he would shoot himself.

The son told reporters he was awakened Wednesday morning by his 12-year-old brother urging his father, “Don’t do it.”

“I’m going to shoot myself,” the older boy said he heard his father reply.

About 5:45 a.m., the older son called his mother and told her that his father was holding a gun in his mouth, deputies said. Noralyn Aberin then called the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, which deployed the Crisis Negotiation Team and the Special Weapons Team. Sheriff’s deputies later determined from his wife and state records that Wilson Aberin possessed a high-powered rifle and two semiautomatic handguns.

Once the older son left the house, his younger brother refused to leave his father even after sheriff’s deputies and his mother urged him to do so, authorities said.

“It appears that the father and son are very close. . . . The child wants to be in there,” Sheriff’s Capt. Bill McSweeney said. “Apparently this guy is not a violent person and has no history of depression. This is a well-respected family, a family that’s active in the community.”

Neighbors in this quiet suburban community of well-kept homes and spacious lawns described the Aberin sons’ athletic prowess on the football field and the baseball diamond and described them as friendly, nice kids. Neighbors said Wilson, or “Willie,” Aberin was often seen videotaping his sons’ football games and attending practices with them.

“When we moved out here 17 years ago and this place was [undeveloped] dirt, nothing like this ever happened,” said Rosemary Sabbagh, 59. “We don’t need this around here--there are too many kids here for this to happen.”

The younger son and his father finally came out of the house together at 1:25 p.m. without incident. Both sons will stay with their mother, authorities said.

Wilson Aberin was arrested and may be charged with child endangerment, authorities said.