Suspect Accused of Causing SWAT Standoff in Santee to Be Arraigned Friday

Arraignment is scheduled for Sean Arevalo Friday afternoon, who is accused of causing the evacuation of a Santee neighborhood after allegedly took his girlfriend hostage and made threats against another woman with a knife for a Wednesday morning.

Just after 5 a.m., a resident of the house in the 10900 block of Chantilly Court in Santee made a 911 call, reporting that a man was in the house "acting crazy and threatening to kill her and any cops'' that came to the house Sheriff's Sgt.
Tom Poulin said.

Santee Sheriff Deputes arrived on scene and attempted to get the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Sean Arevalo to surrender, but were unsuccessful. After repeated attempts to get him to comply, the special weapons and tactics squad was called in as well as negotiatiors, Walker said.

The standoff lasted until about 10:40 a.m., when the SWAT officers forced entry to the bedroom and arrested Arevalo at gunpoint. The woman in the house was found unharmed and authorities recovered the folding knife that Arevalo allegedly had been brandishing, Poulin said.

Arevalo had lived at the residence with his girlfriend until last week, when he was arrested on suspicion of threatening the other female roommate, according to Poulin. The sergeant added that the man had apparently been homeless since that time.

City News Service contributed to this report.