Man Found Dead Inside Home Following Hours-Long SWAT Standoff In Ramona

RAMONA, CA — A man was found dead following a nine-hour SWAT standoff at a Ramona home, authorities said.

Deputies responded to a call for a welfare check on a despondent man shortly before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at a home in the 1400 block of Royal Vista Drive in Ramona, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

"When deputies arrived on scene, they contacted the man through an open window. He did not respond. Instead, the man retreated behind a closed door," sheriff's officials said. "That is when deputies heard what sounded like the racking of a weapon. Deputies quickly retreated to a safe location and called for backup."

Deputies learned that a firearm was discharged several times inside the home the night before.

After deputies were unable to make contact with the suspect, crisis negotiators and special weapons and tactics personnel were called to the scene.

Nearby Hanson Elementary School at 2520 Boundary Ave. was evacuated "out of an abundance of caution," according to the sheriff's office. Students and staff were taken to Ramona Community Montessori School at 1010 Ramona St., where parents picked up their children.

Deputies and Escondido Police Department's SWAT team entered the home shortly before 6:30 p.m., where they found the man unresponsive inside a closed-door closet, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His name was not released.