GLENDALE, AZ — A two-hour barricade situation unfolded in a Glendale neighborhood Wednesday evening after officers spotted a wanted man acting suspiciously near 51st Avenue and Maryland, and it ended with SWAT teams, flash bangs, and drones before police finally pulled the suspect from behind a water heater.
Glendale Police say officers from the city's Violent Crime Impact Team were conducting crime suppression in the area around 5:45 p.m. when they noticed 36-year-old David Melendez behaving erratically in an intersection. At one point, Sgt. Justin Ramsay said Melendez was nearly struck by a vehicle.
When officers tried to make contact, Melendez fled on foot, jumped a fence, and began violently banging on the door of a nearby home — screaming to be let in. The home belonged to his parents, who let him inside.
Officers surrounded the home and attempted to call Melendez out using their vehicles' public address systems. At one point, Melendez exited the home, but used his own parents as a human shield. Officers deployed a pepper ball round, which struck Melendez without causing injury. He retreated back inside and locked the door.
Ramsay said Melendez has an extensive criminal history, including violent charges, weapons misconduct, burglary, and drug offenses. He was also found to have five active and outstanding felony warrants through Maricopa County dating back to 2023, all probation violations. A backpack Melendez dumped while fleeing was later found to contain narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
With Melendez refusing to surrender, the Glendale SWAT team was called in. Officers deployed flash-bangs, non-lethal diversionary devices, and breached two windows to send in drones. When drones failed to locate him, a small SWAT team entered the home with the parents' permission. Melendez was found wedged in a small closet behind a water heater and taken into custody without further incident.
For 30-year neighborhood resident Alberto Tapia, the scene was unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
"SWAT team. A lot of policemen when they opened the doors, and it was terrible. It was a bad situation," Tapia said. "To be honest, I started praying for it."
Tapia said he knows Melendez personally — the two families have deep roots in the neighborhood.
"He went to school with my kids, too. They played soccer together," Tapia said. "As I said, he's a good kid. I was feeling bad for him about that situation. I hope he learned."
Melendez is now booked into the Maricopa County Jail. He faces two counts of obstruction and drug charges, in addition to the five outstanding felony warrants.
