Glendale man arrested after barricading himself inside apartment with two children

A man surrendered early Monday to Special Weapon and Tactics officers after he allegedly struck his wife and then barricaded himself with his two children inside his apartment, police said.

The three- to four-hour standoff with officers began late Sunday when Arturo Medina, 40, of Glendale refused to exit his apartment in the 1500 block of Rock Glen Avenue, according to police. The situation took on added urgency, police said, after they discovered he had two weapons — one of which he reportedly purchased last month — inside his apartment.

Police were eventually able to convince Medina to surrender. No one was injured in the standoff, but his wife was hurt from reportedly being struck.

“This is what we trained for,” Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Officers were drawn to Medina’s home at about 11:35 p.m. when they heard a woman screaming, police said.

As an officer approached the apartment, Medina’s wife of five years told police that they were drinking alcohol and watching the Grammy Awards when he tried to beat her over a sign he posted in their parking area and front entrance of their building, according to police.

She had warned Medina about the signs stating “Caution trespassers will be shot,” which he posted after their vehicles were burglarized on Saturday, police said. She had also lost her job on Friday.

When officers approached the front door of their apartment, he reportedly refused to open it, locking himself and two children inside.

He eventually gave up and was arrested on suspicion of spousal assault, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property — a .22 LR rifle that was reported stolen in 1990 in El Cajon, police said.

They also discovered a stolen San Diego County probation officer’s badge.

-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.