A tense standoff unfolded in Rancho Cordova after a man fired into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment late Sunday night, Sacramento County Sheriff's officials said in a Facebook post. According to authorities, calls came in around 11:45 PM reporting gunfire at an apartment complex on the 9800 block of Lincoln Village Drive; responding officers found that Elijah Rodriguez, 32, had discharged a weapon into the residence and assaulted her new partner with the handgun, before fleeing with his 3-year-old child.
The search for Rodriguez led law enforcement to his apartment on the 4300 block of Galbrath Drive in North Highlands, where a standoff began as the sheriff's deputies arrived to coax him out which he refused to comply- leading to additional resources being summoned as detailed by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. A SWAT team, negotiators, K9 units, and other assets were deployed while trying various communication tactics including phone, text, and public address announcements.
After hours of trying to reach Elijah Rodriguez by phone, text, and loudspeaker with no success, deputies finally made contact using drones. Just before 6:30 AM, Rodriguez came out of his home and surrendered peacefully after nearly six hours of negotiation.
Having been taken into custody, Rodriguez now faces charges and is being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail, declared ineligible for bail, with his court appearance set for September 11, according to the Sheriff’s Office. In the incident that could have easily turned tragic, officials confirmed that none of the involved parties or officers were injured.
