Santa Rosa Man Arrested After Taking Hostages, Making Terrorist Threats During Standoff
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- An intoxicated man was arrested after shooting off a gun inside a residence, taking multiple hostages and declaring terrorist threats during a standoff with sheriff's deputies in an unincorporated area in Sonoma County Thursday night, a sheriff's sergeant said.
The sheriff's office identified the suspect as 48-year-old Michael Albini, of Santa Rosa.
Sheriff's deputies responded to 317 Buck Road in an area south of Santa Rosa at 5:45 p.m. after receiving reports from Albini's roommate that gunshots were coming from inside the house, sheriff's deputies said.
Initial reports indicated that Albini was holding hostages inside the house. Sheriff's deputies spoke with Albini from a bedroom window, but Albini refused to exit the home and began breaking items inside the house.
Sheriff's deputies began evacuations of nearby homes and members of the SWAT team and the sheriff's hostage negotiators team responded to the scene.
Negotiators made phone contact with the alleged hostages and all the residents were safely evacuated from the house, except Albini, who refused to come out.
Negotiations with Albini continued for several hours and negotiators suspected Albini was becoming increasingly intoxicated. After about an hour without contact with Albini, a bomb squad unit maneuvered a remote-controlled robot into the house and located Albini lying near a bed. Albini appeared extremely intoxicated and was unresponsive, according to sheriff's deputies.
Members of the SWAT team took Albini into custody without further incident.
Albini was transported to the hospital for medical evaluation, due to his extreme level of intoxication.
Albini was to be booked into Sonoma County jail for negligent discharge of a firearm, terrorist threats, as well as assault with a deadly weapon and using violence or force to resist arrest.
Detectives were conducting further investigations at the crime scene. Sheriff's deputies blocked off several streets in the area, including Bucks Road and portions of Santa Rosa Avenue Thursday night.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
