Police Arrest Man Who Allegedly Kidnapped 3

A convicted spousal abuser who allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and two children in March was arrested Saturday at a house in Venice, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jose Delacruz, 40, just before 5 p.m. in the 500 block of Vernon Avenue after a SWAT team flooded the house with tear gas and sent a police dog in to locate him.

When deputies reached Delacruz, he was holding a knife and had what are believed to be self-inflicted knife wounds, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jerry Kaono said.

He also appeared to be breaking a window and attempting to escape, Kaono added.

Delacruz was taken to a nearby hospital, where he had surgery and was being guarded by sheriff’s deputies.

Kaono said Delacruz would be transported to the jail ward of County-USC Medical Center after surgery.

Authorities believe that Delacruz, his son and another man took Adriana Galindo, 27, and daughters Gypsy, 3, and Ariane, 1, on March 6 from a Lomita home. Delacruz had just been convicted of beating Galindo, and a judge had ordered him to serve six months in Los Angeles County jail. Family members have said that Galindo left Delacruz several times and that she had once moved into battered women’s shelter with the children.

Delacruz faces charges of kidnapping, making terrorist threats and spousal abuse, and is being held on $1-million bail, Kaono said. His son, Alejo Delacruz, was arrested March 18 in Bakersfield.

Jose Delacruz fled to Mexico after the alleged kidnapping but had returned to the United States recently, authorities said. Sheriff’s detectives received a tip he was planning to go to Texas.

Los Angeles detectives passed on the information to Texas authorities, who located the children and took them into protective custody. Galindo is believed to be in Mexico.

On Saturday morning, sheriff’s deputies learned Delacruz was in Venice. They called the house and advised the family to evacuate before obtaining a warrant, surrounding the residence and entering.

Kaono said the arrest comes after months of following Delacruz. “We’ve been trying to track this guy down since March,” he said.