Barricaded San Clemente Man In Custody After Standoff

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — An apartment in San Clemente was evacuated, as were nearby residences, after an assault suspect barricaded himself inside for nearly 5 hours on Monday. Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies arrived on scene, attempting to coax the 42-year-old man out, according to Jaimee Blashaw, spokesperson for OCSD.

"Orange County sheriff's deputies were called to the 1000 block of Calle de Cerro at just before 10:15 a.m. to investigate an assault with a deadly weapon," Blashaw said. "When deputies arrived, the suspect barricaded himself in the apartment and refused to come out."

The incident was reported by the man’s caregiver, Blashaw said. When deputies arrived, the suspect barricaded himself in the apartment and refused to come out.

The suspect used VHF radio to contact the U.S. Coast Guard and announced over radio he was armed with explosive devices. He also called a local television station to report he had explosives in the apartment.

As a precaution, multiple nearby apartments were evacuated.

The Sheriff’s Department deployed multiple resources to carry out a methodical response in an effort to peacefully resolve the standoff.

Members of the OCSD SWAT, Hazardous Devices Section (HDS) and Crisis Assessment Team (CAT) responded to the scene at about 12:30 p.m. The Orange County Fire Authority also aided in the response.

After several hours of negotiation, OCSD deployed tear gas into the apartment, but the suspect still did not surrender.

The Sheriff’s Department then breached the suspect’s front door. The suspect exited the apartment at about 5:15 p.m. and complied with deputies’ instructions.

No explosives were found in the apartment.

Christopher Cudin, 42, of San Clemente was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats.

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