SALINAS (BCN) — A 23-year-old man who allegedly killed a man and attempted a robbery in Salinas last month was arrested after an hour-long standoff, police said Friday.
Brad “Nicholas” Azcona, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the fatal shooting of 44-year-old Ramon Herrera and an attempted robbery on Sept. 23, police said.
Police had requested the public’s assistance in locating Azcona, who they said was considered armed and dangerous.
Detectives learned Azcona was at a home in the 600 block of Seneca Place after conducting surveillance on him around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, according to police.
They surrounded the home with the help of officers, a SWAT team and a California Highway Patrol air crew, police said.
Neighboring homes were evacuated and officers called out to Azcona, who did not respond, according to police.
A hostage negotiation team responded and spent hours trying to make contact with Azcona, but when he continued to be unresponsive the SWAT team deployed gas into the home, police said.
The 23-year-old still did not leave the residence and the SWAT team went inside where they found him hiding in a crawl space underneath the house, according to police.
Azcona surrendered without incident and was booked into Monterey County Jail, police said.
Prior to his arrest, Azcona was on parole from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, according to police.
His criminal history includes robberies, domestic violence and assaults in the city, police said.