Chaos erupted on a Santa Clarita street this past night when a man, later identified as Thomas Acuna, began firing a handgun while trying to force entry into homes on Soledad Canyon Road. Deputies responded to the situation promptly after receiving multiple 911 calls around 12:50 AM, as reported by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
Reports from the scene indicated an approximately 40-year-old Hispanic male "screaming and walking around an apartment complex while firing a black handgun and attempting to enter numerous residences," as stated by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. Deputies arrived to find the suspect allegedly also shooting at a female who was trying to flee, an act which resulted in gunfire striking four inhabited dwellings.
In an attempted intervention that quickly escalated, deputies faced a lack of cooperation from the suspect, leading to the use of force to take the man into custody. "He was immediately uncooperative, however, and a use of force occurred to quickly and effectively bring the suspect into custody," Deputy Robert Jensen said, as per the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
The arrest of Acuna brought multiple charges including assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, burglary, child endangerment, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a so-called ghost gun.
