Armed Suspect Found Hiding in HVAC Vent After Six-Hour SWAT Standoff in Lufkin
LUFKIN, Texas – An 18-year-old man wanted on an aggravated assault warrant was arrested Sunday morning after a six-hour standoff with Lufkin police ended with SWAT officers finding him hiding inside an HVAC return vent.
Jose Coronado-Escareno was taken into custody at approximately 6 a.m. Sunday following an overnight standoff at a residence in the 1400 block of Avalon Drive.
The incident began Saturday when Lufkin police responded to the home to investigate an aggravated assault. Officers said Coronado-Escareno had already left the scene before they arrived.
At approximately 11:30 p.m., family members called police again to report that Coronado-Escareno had returned to the home looking for the person he was accused of assaulting. The alleged victim had already left the residence and did not return.
As officers arrived, family members told them they had been forced out of the home and believed Coronado-Escareno was armed with an AK-47-style rifle. Police also learned he did not live at the residence.
The Lufkin Police Department’s SWAT team responded and spent several hours attempting to negotiate Coronado-Escareno’s surrender, repeatedly ordering him over a public address system to exit the home peacefully.
At approximately 4 a.m., SWAT officers deployed tear gas and used a drone to search the residence. Additional tear gas canisters were deployed around 5:45 a.m.
About 15 minutes later, SWAT officers entered the home and found Coronado-Escareno hiding inside an HVAC return air vent.
He was taken into custody without incident or injury. Officers also recovered an AK-47-style rifle from the residence.
Coronado-Escareno was arrested on charges of evading arrest, making a terroristic threat and an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.
Lufkin Police Chief Travis Brazil praised officers for bringing the incident to a peaceful conclusion.
“We negotiated for several hours, and it came to a peaceful resolution,” Brazil said. “I am proud of our officers for their work throughout the night to bring this to a successful end.”
