Holly MatkinSan Jose, CA – A machete-wielding attacker smashed out the front window of a California family’s home and held a woman and her two children hostage in a closet during a deadly standoff with police on Wednesday night.
The incident occurred at a residence located in the 900-block of Boynton Avenue at approximately 8:30 p.m. on March 22, CBS News reported.
A man who lives at the home said he was around the corner doing laundry while his wife and their two sons, ages eight and 18, were inside the apartment watching television, according to KNTV.
He said he then received a frantic call from his wife who was screaming and telling him that a man had just broken into their house.
The husband said he ran back home and saw the front window of the residence had been smashed out, KNTV reported.
He headed inside and heard his family screaming in a room, but he was blocked from getting to them because of the armed suspect standing outside the bedroom door, according to the news outlet.
“He was angry,” the husband said, adding that he had never seen the suspect before.
The intruder was allegedly armed with a machete, a gun, and a metallic pipe, KNTV reported.
The female victim later said the suspect forced her and her sons into a closet and held them hostage while pointing the machete at them.
The husband said the suspect ordered him to go get the apartment manager and warned him something bad would happen if he didn’t comply, KNTV reported.
While he went looking for the manager, police arrived at the scene.
The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) said they received a call about the incident shortly before 9 p.m., KNTV reported.
SJPD Public Information Officer Steven Aponte said officers surrounded the home and tried to negotiate with the suspect “in an attempt to deescalate the situation to have a peaceful surrender of the subject,” KNTV reported.
The department announced in a tweet shortly after 11 p.m. that the incident had resulted in an officer-involved shooting.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead a short while later.
“The hostages, including two children, were safely removed from the residence by Officers,” the SJPD said. “No Officers were injured during the event.”
Police have not released the suspect’s identity or any other details regarding the incident.
Officer Aponte said the tense standoff was difficult for everyone involved in the situation, KNTV reported.
“This is a very traumatic experience for everybody involved, not just the family, but the officers as well,” he said.
Sandy Malone