Suspect Escapes Standoff With Police Near DHS

RIVERSIDE COUNTY – The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a man Friday after he escaped from an overnight standoff.

The standoff happened at the Healing Waters Mobile Home Park near Desert Hot Springs in an area located along Langlois Road. The park is in an unincorporated area of Riverside County.

Investigators recovered and seized a couple of rifles. They also found a box of ball powder, an ingredient in making homemade ammunition.

What investigators were not able to locate was the suspect responsible for causing the standoff.

“He refused to answer the phone calls via cell phone or the landline,” says Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department. “But he was last seen running into the residence. So we believed he was inside the residence.”

The man who gave authorities the slip: Jason Sandoval, 33. Authorities and the Special Enforcement Bureau held the mobile home park under siege for over seven hours. They believed this incident was a case of a potential standoff or hostage situation.

“I’m scared. I’m scared,” says resident Chic Toohey, who says she heard gunshots last night. “I have a puppy, but she’s blind and deaf. So, she’s not a lot of help. But it’s scary when you’re alone.”

The trouble began Thursday between 9:30-10:00 p.m. Residents complained of shots being fired. It turns out Sandoval had a fight with his mom, fired those shots, and hid in his mobile home when deputies arrived.

Not only did Sandoval manage to elude the authorities, but he also managed to waste thousands of county, taxpayer money for causing this standoff.

The Sheriff’s Department upholds its decision for ordering this much manpower.

“We always take the precautionary steps necessary in order to not hurt the suspect, the residents in the area, and of course, our personnel,” says Valenzuela.

Sandoval is wanted for possession of a firearm and for attempted homicide. He allegedly threatened a neighbor with the gun.

Authorities say Sandoval is considered armed and dangerous.