A hit-and-run suspect was arrested after being held at gunpoint in a standoff that lasted almost 90 minutes starting at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the eastbound side of Highway 14, near the Soledad Canyon Road off ramp, according to law enforcement officials.
A K-9 unit was called in and helped subdue the man, Gerardo Pichardo Delgado, a 47-year-old San Pedro resident, who was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, according to law enforcement officials.
According to radio traffic, a single California Highway Patrol officer was holding Delgado – driving a white Chevrolet pickup truck – at gunpoint until backup from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station arrived.
“Officers located the vehicle, at which time the Chevrolet attempted to collide, head on with the patrol vehicle,” said Josh Greengard, spokesman for the CHP. “Officers attempted an enforcement stop, at which time the Chevrolet fled and failed to stop.”
Officer Edgar Figueroa, a spokesman for California Highway Patrol Newhall, said officers pursued the vehicle before it stalled.
“The details are a little fuzzy, but I can tell you that [Delgado] was wanted for a hit-and-run,” said Figueroa. “The officer attempted to stop the vehicle and it fled. It didn’t get very far.”
Figueroa said Delgado attempted to enter onto Highway 14 but stalled on the on-ramp. Figueroa also said that all northbound lanes on Highway 14 were closed by CHP for safety reasons.
“It sounds like he’s not coming out of the vehicle, so they’re making every attempt to get the person out or extract him. And so they’re still trying to do that, but we don’t know how long that’s going to take,” said Figueroa at the time.
According to witnesses at the scene, the northbound Highway 14 on-ramp near Soledad Canyon Road was closed, causing heavy traffic.
A K-9 unit arrived on the scene at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Law enforcement attempted to get the driver out of the vehicle and was in a stand-off with the man – attempting in multiple languages to communicate with the driver – for over an hour and a half.
Police could be heard shouting out, “The truck is not going to move anymore, get out of the truck.”
At approximately 6:20 p.m., officers were finally able to remove Delgado by allowing a K-9 unit dog to enter the vehicle through its passenger side.
Delgado’s bail was set at $50,000 and he remains in custody at the time of this publication.
A hit-and-run suspect was detained after being held at gunpoint in a standoff that lasted approximately 90 minutes starting at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the eastbound side of Highway 14, near the Soledad Canyon Road off ramp, according to law enforcement officials.
