Woman Climbs Tree In 11-Hour Standoff In Canoga Park

CANOGA PARK, CA — Police and firefighters in Canoga Park spent the night trying to coax a woman down from a tall tree. After an 11-hour standoff, the woman finally climbed down from her perch Tuesday morning just before 7 a.m.

A witness reported seeing a woman smoking narcotics before climbing to the top of a 30-foot tree, ABC7 reported. And there she stayed perched 30 feet up in the 21800 block of West Lanark Street from about 7:30 p.m. Monday to almost 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

When police and firefighters arrived, she refused to come down. Firefighters set up an airbag at the bottom of the tree and waited for more than 11 hours for the woman to come down. Finally, she allowed firefighters using a ladder to climb up and help her down, according to police.

Authorities still don't know what made her climb in the tree or why she stayed up there for so long. The woman reportedly was being referred for a mental evaluation.

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Fire Department