Authorities say a barricade situation at a central Phoenix apartment is over and 30-year-old Evert Velasquez has been taken into custody.
Phoenix police say Velasquez and a 14-year-old girl barricaded themselves inside the home after police arrived to serve a search warrant on the man.
14 yr old girl's family is waiting on near the barricade. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/rWEXjAUSp5
— Chencho Flores (@ChenchoTV) May 10, 2016
Police arrived around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to serve the search warrant on Velasquez, who was wanted in an investigation into sexual conduct with a minor.
While there, officers learned that the victim in the case -- the teenage girl -- also was inside the apartment.
Police say both Velasquez and teenager were threatening to harm themselves.
Around 2:30 p.m., police say the girl came out of the apartment and Velasquez was taken into custody.
Sergeant Vince Lewis, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department said the standoff created a dangerous situation.
"We had information that they were armed. That there was a weapon, possibly weapons inside the apartment," said Lewis.
Across the police tape, family members of the teenage girl camped out in lawn chairs, watched the drama unfold.
Friends and neighbors were perched up on a retaining wall to take pictures, when a flash bang and what sounded like a gunshot startled everyone.
The 14-year-old girl's aunt Melissa Cannon says the family is relieved she is okay.
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous and disgusting how a 30-year-old man is even interested in a 14-year-old girl. They don't even know what love is," said Cannon.
Family members say the Department of Child Safety has failed this teen. DCS officials could not comment on why the child was in their care, but it's usually for a good reason.
The teen's dad Ray Gonzales says it was over false allegations of domestic violence.
"She lied about the whole thing, our charges are going to be dropped," said Gonzales.
He added that DCS had jeopardized his daughter's safety when they trusted them to take care of her. Gonzales says he found out his daughter ran away from DCS care about a month ago.
"I'm glad she's safe, but now I'm going to let you guys know this is not the end of it, we're going after CPS," said Gonzales.
A DCS spokesman says they currently have 33 runaways listed. All the cases are turned over to law enforcement authorities.
Watch our interview with Phoenix Police Sergeant Vince Lewis in the player below.
