FALLBROOK, Calif. -- A Fallbrook man was undergoing a mental health evaluation after allowing his apartment to fill with natural gas, threatening to light fire and holding sheriff's deputies at bay for more than six hours.
Authorities said the chain of events that led to the unnamed man being taken to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside and placed on a 72-hour mental health evaluation hold began about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday when someone called the sheriff's department to report an "emotionally disturbed subject" at an apartment building on East Alvarado Street.
The caller told authorities the resident had flooded his apartment with natural gas from the stove and threatened to light it on fire, according to a sheriff's department statement. Firefighter turned off gas to the entire complex and evacuated its residents, who were allowed to stay in a nearby
church.
Deputies broke out a window to the suspect's unit and crisis negotiators urged him to exit, but he holed up inside until they gained entry to the apartment shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sheriff's officials said the man resisted arrest and continued to hide behind furniture.
He was then removed from the apartment and taken to the hospital, according to the sheriff's department statement.
The complex's other tenants were allowed to return to their homes after the man was taken into custody, authorities said.
