Barricaded Suspect Gave Authorities the Slip; Nearby Schools in Artesia on Lockdown During Police Activities

ARTESIA, CA -- The suspect barricaded inside a residence in Lakewood managed to give authorities the slip Tuesday.

Authorities receive a domestic violence disturbance call in the 20300 block of Roseton Avenue at around 5:25 a.m. and the man is believed to be in the house with a firearm, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Paul Jernigan said. Deputies are trying to get him out, he said.

The unidentified man was believed to be alone in the residence, and a SWAT team and crisis negotiators were sent to the scene. Early Tuesday afternoon, SWAT deputies entered the home, but he was gone, the sheriff's department reported.

Both nearby Haskell Middle and Willow Elementary schools are on lockdown as a precaution. Jernigan said the lockdowns are voluntary, but school officials said they were ordered by sheriff's officials to go on lockdown. Authorities, however, don't believe the children are in any immediate danger.

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