LA MESA — Tues Apr 14, 1:08 PM — A woman was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after a hours-long standoff at a La Mesa condominium complex that ended with a fire inside her unit and a coordinated tactical entry by SWAT officers and firefighters.
La Mesa Police Department issued an initial alert at 1:08 p.m. advising the public to avoid the 9300 block of Earl Street, where officers were working a barricaded felony suspect.
Neighbors said the woman, described as being in her 30s and living alone with a dog, had displayed increasingly erratic behavior in recent days and weeks. Residents reported she had been playing recordings of Hitler speeches at loud volume, hung a Hitler poster in her window, and spray-painted Nazi “SS” symbols on exterior walls of the complex. At least one neighbor said she had previously attempted to ignite a propane tank and stated her intent to blow up the building.
The confrontation began when property management arrived to paint over the graffiti and requested police presence to preserve the peace. La Mesa PD SWAT/SRT deployed to the scene with a BearCat armored vehicle, positioning it at the front door of the unit.
After approximately three hours, officers observed smoke coming from a bathroom roof vent. Heartland Fire & Rescue dispatched units at 3:49 p.m., initially classifying the call as a residential fire before upgrading it to a structure fire within minutes. As smoke intensified and the sound of breaking glass was heard, SWAT officers and firefighters made immediate entry.
Officers recovered the suspect’s dog using a catch pole and were seen dragging the woman out of the apartment. One person was transported to a hospital by ambulance. Firefighters extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to adjacent units.
La Mesa PD confirmed at 4:34 p.m. that the suspect was in custody.
