SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man wanted on three felony warrants is behind bars after an hours-long standoff with police.
San Antonio police took 29-year-old Samuel Espinoza into custody but not before a long back and forth with negotiators.
“Samuel Espinoza, this is the San Antonio Police Department. We know you’re in there. We’re not going anywhere. We have the place surrounded,” SAPD negotiators could be heard telling the suspect.
The standoff started just before 6 p.m. Thursday at a South Side apartment complex in the 6200 block of South New Braunfels.
The large police presence left neighbors in a panic.
“Turned off the lights and got the kids on the floor. We were scared maybe someone was going to start shooting because you don’t know if someone is going to start shooting and the bullets are going to start to ricocheting through the window, just all sorts of possibilities start running through your head,” said Paul Garcia, a neighbor.
Meanwhile, a woman in the apartment with the suspect feared for her life. She called a friend for help, who then contacted police.
When officers approached the apartment door, they heard a voice inside saying, “Stay quiet” and “Don’t say anything.”
“This is the San Antonio Police Department. We know you’re in there. You’re not in trouble. We want to help you. We want to make sure you’re OK,” SAPD negotiators told the woman.
The reason for the large police presence was that Espinoza was wanted on three felony warrants and has a lengthy criminal history. According to Bexar County records, Espinoza has been booked for assault three times, including one that occurred in January, where the alleged victim was a pregnant woman.
After hours of negotiations with SAPD’s special operations unit, Espinoza gave himself up, and no one was hurt.
The standoff gave neighbors a night they’d never forget.
“Just seeing a whole bunch of lights, a bunch of cops scattered. Cops in the front, cops in the back/ They’ve never had the place surrounded like that SWAT team was there, and I’ve never experienced anything like that. It was a first-time experience,” Garcia said.