# Suspect Found Dead after 9-Hour Florida Standoff



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

AP Photo/J. Pat Carter

Police in Homestead, Fla. take up defensive positions after a suspect authorities believed to be armed barricaded himself in a home in a standoff, Nov. 13.









AP Photo/J. Pat Carter

Police SWAT team members move into position as they surround a house in Homestead, Fla., Nov. 13.

*By MATT SEDENSKY*
_Associated Press Writer_

A man being sought for shooting at police officers over the weekend barricaded himself in a home, firing a high-powered weapon at officers in a nearly nine-hour standoff before he was found dead, authorities said.
Police would not say how the suspect died and did not confirm his identity. They said officers did not fire any shots into the home and that no authorities were injured.
The discovery of the man's body ended a daylong standoff in which negotiators fruitlessly sought to communicate with the suspect, authorities' helicopters whirred overhead and officers were pinned to the ground to escape gunfire.
The incident prompted a lockdown at nearby Homestead Middle School and children at two other elementary schools were not allowed to leave unless their bus route was out of the standoff area or their parents picked them up. A schools spokesman said some 3,000 students were affected.
Police said another man who had been in the home with the suspect left through a back door several hours before the standoff ended. They said the man was being questioned, though his relatives claimed he was held against his will.
"He said he was being held hostage," said Gabriel Vega, who said he was an uncle to the man. "He said the guy wouldn't let him go."
The second man being sought in Friday's shooting was arrested without incident on Monday morning, according to Miami-Dade police. He was identified as 21-year-old Samuel Mendoza, and Florida City Detective Ezra Washington said he was charged with attempted murder on a law enforcement officer, along with other firearm charges.
Police said the entire situation began around 11 p.m. Saturday when Florida City police responded to a disturbance and two men fired shots at officers. That prompted a high-speed chase in which Florida City Sgt. Barbara Barrett said both men again fired shots at officers, though no one was injured.
"Mendoza was holding himself out the window, firing his AK-47 at the officers' vehicle," Barrett said.
Barrett said Mendoza is the brother of Salvador Mendoza, who was convicted in 2004 in the shooting of a Homestead police officer. The shooting left the officer blinded in one eye.
Associated Press writer Jennifer Kay in Miami contributed to this report.








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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

*Homeland Security Assisting Fla. Police Standoff*

_(CBS)_ _HOMESTEAD, Fla._ A Miami-Dade Special Response Team armored vehicle has crashed through the fence of a home in Homestead, Fla. where a tense police standoff has been going on for hours.

A man, whom police have identified as 19-year-old Eusebio Estrada, is suspected of firing an AK-47 assault rifle at two Florida City police officers Saturday while they were investigating a call for help at a residence. Estrada, and a second suspect, 21-year-old Samuel Mendoza, jumped into a black Chevy Tahoe and fled, according to police. The Tahoe was later found abandoned, with shell casings inside.

Monday morning, Florida City police got a tip that Mendoza and Estrada were in Homestead. Mendoza was taken into custody but Estrada barricaded himself inside a home. Police say he fired at least 20 rounds at Homestead Police who were trying to bring him into custody.

At least four officers were pinned behind a vehicle in front of the home until the Miami-Dade SRT team used some type of smoke diversion and moved in with their armored vehicle to rescue them.

There is a large number of police officers on the scene from various jurisdictions, including Homestead, Florida City, Miami-Dade and two Blackhawk helicopters from the Department of Homeland Security, which were launched from nearby Homestead Air Reserve Base to assist law officers on the ground.

Florida City police said Samuel Mendoza is the brother of Salvador Mendoza, who was convicted in 2004 in the shooting of Homestead Police officer Edgard Rivera. Rivera was blinded in the shooting. Salvador Mendoza was sentenced to life in prison.

The back yard of the home looks like a junkyard, it's littered with debris and an abandoned van. In addition, several windows of the home are boarded up with plywood.

More details will be posted about this developing story as they become available.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

only decent thing the pos ever did was take himself out


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2006)

Good riddance.


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