SW Redmond robbery leads to 4-hour standoff, surrender
(Update: Adding video; neighbor, police comments)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A southwest Redmond neighborhood was the scene of a four-hour police standoff Thursday night that ended in the surrender of a man accused of robbing another man at gunpoint in an apartment, police said Friday.
Police responded around 6:15 p.m. to the reported robbery at the Ridgemont Apartments on Southwest 19th Street, Lt. Curtis Chambers said.
Officers contacted the 30-year-old male victim near the location, who reported he was robbed at gunpoint in an apartment but managed to escape, leaving several personal items behind, Chambers said.
An investigation led to identification of the suspect as Abrahan Sandoval Ruiz, a 23-year-old Central Oregon-area resident, the lieutenant said.
Officers, detectives and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team contacted Sandoval Ruiz by phone, but he refused to come out, Chambers said.
About four hours after the initial call. CERT negotiators were able to get the suspect to surrender to officers at the scene.
Neighbors who witnessed the incident say all of the roads and driveways to the complex were blocked.
Sarah Hagen told NewsChannel 21 Friday the SWAT team, K-9s and drones surrounded the area.
"It was very alarming, because you don't know what is going on," Hagen said. "You don't normally see SWAT trucks and police with big assault rifles, so it is a little alarming. You want your neighborhood to be safe. You want to let people know what's going on."
Sandoval Ruiz was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant for a parole violation. He first was taken to the Deschutes County Jail, but then to an area hospital for medical evaluation. Chambers did not disclose other details but said no force was used in ending the standoff with his arrest.
Chambers said a search warrant was obtained, and officers recovered a gun and other evidence in the apartment, and said no force was used.
"We don't want to force a confrontation if we can avoid it," Chambers said. "In this case, we did not have reason to force an entry into the building, putting ourselves and the lives of others in danger.
"Yes, a firearm was involved in this incident, and that certainly weighed in on our decision-making," he added. "And having the person come out on their own, where we could see their hands and could control the environment, is the best solution."
The lieutenant said he would not disclose the relationship between the suspect and victim or other details at present, as the investigation is still active.
Redmond police thanked the Bend Police Department, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police for their assistance at the scene.
Court records show Sandoval Ruiz pleaded guilty last June to being fourth-degree assault, menacing and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to just over a year in state prison and five years probation.
