Man With Gun Threatens To Kill Family Members: Napa PD

NAPA, CA — Residents of a Napa apartment building were ordered to shelter in place early Monday as the Napa Police Department responded to reports of a man threatening to kill family members, according to the Napa Police Department.

Officers were dispatched shortly before 6 a.m. Monday to the call in the 700 block of South Freeway Drive. The victims told police a family member was inside their home, was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, and had threatened to kill them with a gun, Napa police Lt. Ken Sedgley said.

The victims told police they saw the gun and believed it was real. Officers ensured the victims were safe and away from the home while they tried to contact the suspect and secure the immediate area.

Napa PD shut down Imola Avenue from Molina Drive to South Freeway Drive and sent an alert to the community at 7:26 a.m. about the police activity. Residents of an apartment building were ordered to shelter in place, and the Napa Police Department's Crisis Response Unit was called in.

Police identified the man accused of making the threats as Julian Contreras, a 32-year-old Napa resident.

Contreras eventually came outside and was peacefully detained, Sedgley said.

It was alleged that officers found a firearm and ammunition during a warrant search of the victims' residence.

Contreras was booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections on suspicion of battery and making criminal threats. He was released from custody Monday afternoon, jail records showed.

Sedgley said that depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation, additional charges could be filed in the incident.

"Thank you to the Napa Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and to the neighbors and commuters in the area for their patience during the road closure."