Photo: Butterfield Road
SAN ANSELMO — A distressed unemployed man was arrested for allegedly threatening his roommate with a knife. A total of eight law enforcement agencies responded to a 911 call.
Central Marin Police Authority officers arrested the man who barricaded himself inside his bedroom for several hours.
The incident quickly escalated after an argument between roommates erupted during the middle of the night. The reason for the dispute was that the suspect allegedly vandalized one of his roommate’s cars.
As the situation became increasingly heated, one roommate called the regional police agency. Responding officers arrived on the scene shortly after midnight on June 20.
Officers believed the suspect might be in possession of a loaded shotgun. Therefore, they evacuated the other roommates living at the four-bedroom house at 294 Butterfield Road.
Neighbors were ordered to shelter in place, and a mobile command center was set up at nearby Brookside Elementary School. Nearby streets were closed to all traffic.
Seven other agencies rushed to the scene. Fairfax, Mill Valley, Novato, San Rafael and Sausalito police all assisted. Officers from the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol also showed up.
Incredibly, one roommate remained fast asleep as a special response team assembled surrounded the residence. Eventually, officers were able to awaken roommate who was evacuated through a bedroom window.
All through the night, officers tried talking the suspect into surrendering himself. He refused to cooperate. He briefly opened his bedroom door, brandishing a knife and threatened to kill himself.
Finally, shortly after 7 a.m., he surrendered himself peacefully, and no one was harmed.
Officers from the Central Marin Police Authority arrested 33-year-old Brian A. Gallegos. He was booked at Marin County Jail for making criminal threats and vandalism. He remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bond.
