Merced County standoff ends with suspect’s arrest in Los Banos. S.W.AT. called to scene
A 36-year old Los Banos man turned himself into authorities after allegedly breaking into a Los Banos home with a handgun Friday night, according to police.
Officers responded to a disturbance in the 800 block of Jeffery Road at 3:43 p.m. when a female caller reported her ex-boyfriend Jerry Galindo Martinez of Los Banos, was trying to break into her home with a firearm, according to a news release by the Los Banos Police Department.
Officers were already searching for Martinez regarding a separate criminal threats case which was reported the prior evening.
Officers arrived and located Martinez’s vehicle parked in front of a residence in the 1600 block of Canal Farm Lane. An elderly woman walked out of the residence and told police an unknown man was inside her home.
Officers set up a perimeter around the home and used the public address system to call the suspect out of the residence.
About an hour later, detectives obtained a search warrant and requested assistance from the Merced County Sheriff’s S.W.A.T. Team.
S.W.A.T. team members used a specialized robot to search inside the residence and call Martinez out of the house.
Martinez voluntarily walked out and turned himself in at approximately 8:15 p.m. and he was placed under arrest.
The home was searched and officers located a replica handgun.
Martinez was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Los Banos Police Department Jail, with a bail set at $50,000.
This story was originally published June 18, 2021 at 10:41 PM.
