Suspect surrenders after standoff in Porterville

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- A man was arrested and booked into jail following an hours-long standoff in Porterville.

Authorities say Anselmo Solorio fired through a wall at Tulare County deputies and family members Friday night. Porterville police eventually used tear gas and fired back at him. The 34-year-old finally surrendered just after 7 a.m. Saturday.

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office tells Action News the standoff lasted so long because every decision they made had to be well thought out.

"There's a bullet hole right there. It didn't go all the way through," said Beatriz Castro, a witness.

She and her eight family members pressed themselves to the ground as gunshots flew outside their home.

"We were just laying in the room. I had the kids on the floor trying to put them to sleep. Every time they would hear a gunshot they would wake up though," said Castro.

The family was stuck in their home for three hours Friday night as SWAT teams and negotiators tried to coax the suspect out of his house on Lime Street near Henderson Avenue. Investigators say Solorio started shooting at sheriff's deputies late Friday during a routine compliance and parole check. Solorio barricaded himself in a room and opened fire, aiming for deputies.

"We at the sheriff's office and I know as well our surrounding local law enforcement agencies have a zero tolerance for this type of behavior, and we'll do everything we can to make sure our citizens as well as our officers are safe," said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.

During the shooting rampage, investigators say Solorio's brother was unintentionally shot in the face by the suspect, and two other elderly women were trapped in the home. The suspect's brother has since been treated and is expected to be released from the hospital. And no one else was seriously injured when the standoff came to an end Saturday morning.

"We will aggressively go out and arrest those who put other's lives in danger," said Boudreaux.

The suspect is facing numerous charges including attempted homicide on a peace officer and possessing a firearm as a felon. His bail is set at $1 million.