Man Aims Rifle At Neighbor's Home: El Sobrante Standoff

EL SOBRANTE, CA — A man who barricaded himself in his El Sobrante home for about six hours surrendered without a struggle Sunday night, a Contra Costa County sheriff's spokesman said.

Alex Studer, 51, of El Sobrante, was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on suspicion of making criminal threats, exhibiting a firearm and obstruction, according to sheriff's spokesman Jimmy
Lee. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

The case began when the sheriff's office got a call around 4:20 p.m. about a person in the 3800 block of La Colina Road allegedly standing on the balcony with a rifle aimed at a neighbor's home, threatening the
neighbor, Lee said.

Deputies went to Studer's house and tried to communicate with him, but although he initially came out on the balcony, he then retreated into the residence, according to Lee.

Members of the sheriff's office's hostage negotiation team tried to communicate with the suspect, who would only speak briefly and then hang up the phone, Lee said. As a precaution, deputies evacuated nearby residents.

At 10:53 p.m., the negotiation team convinced Studer to surrender, and he did so without a struggle, according to Lee.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock