Voluntario Street Stand-Off Ends Peacefully

The Santa Barbara Police Department is praising work done by its Crisis Negotiation Response Team (CNRT) that helped a Wednesday night stand-off at a residence on the 800 block of North Voluntario Street end without bloodshed.

According to a statement from police spokesperson Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte, officers arrived at the home of 34-year-old Mario Escobar at 11:30 p.m. on August 6 after a family dispute evolved into a potentially violent situation. Esobar allegedly brandished a shotgun. When his wife could not pry the firearm away from him, she and her sons fled the home. Escobar remained inside. Though he initially told a CNRT member that he would shoot any officers who entered his residence, a lengthy conversation ultimately led Escobar to surrender peacefully at 1:40 a.m. Escobar was arrested in charges of resisting arrest and brandishing a firearm. Upon searching his home, officers did indeed find a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the living room.