Wednesday, 29 July 2026, 1:36
A man was arrested after a tense standoff with police in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, following an attack on his family members. The incident began when authorities received a report of a man assaulting his brother and mother inside a residence. The standoff started at about 11:30 a.m. on Monday, July 13, 2026, in the west San Fernando Valley community. The suspect, identified as Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz, 59, was believed to be the only person in the home and was possibly armed with a knife. He barricaded himself for eight hours at the home on Delco Avenue between Plummer and Lassen streets.
Officers arrived at the scene and established a perimeter, leading to a prolonged standoff that continued into the afternoon. After hours of negotiation, the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The standoff came to an end with the man arrested sometime before 6:30 p.m. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon against family members. The brother was treated for cuts at a hospital and released, while the mother was treated at the scene in the 9700 block of Delco Avenue, east of Mason Avenue. Details on what led to the attack were not immediately available. After the arrest, Hoyos-Munoz had to be taken to a hospital to be treated for exposure to gas utilized by SWAT personnel. Once released from the hospital, he was taken to the Van Nuys Regional Jail.
On Wednesday, July 15, jail staff took Hoyos-Munoz out of his holding cell. During that process, the LAPD said a "non-categorical use of force" was used, referring to lower-level physical force or control devices. Once Hoyos-Munoz was placed in a "five-point restraint chair," which secured him physically to prevent movement, officers were able to take his fingerprints. Afterward, Hoyos-Munoz was moved to a single-person cell where he remained handcuffed for a short time. The LAPD said when jail staff returned to the cell, another non-categorical use-of-force occurred, which prompted police to place him face down on the jail bunk and remove his handcuffs. About 20 minutes later, when officers returned to check on Hoyos-Munoz, they found him unconscious and not breathing. Despite medical intervention, Hoyos-Munoz failed to respond to treatment and was pronounced deceased. Three detention officers were injured during altercations with Hoyos-Munoz and were treated at a hospital for contusions and minor lacerations. The LAPD's Force Investigation Division is now investigating the incident.
The LAPD confirmed Hoyos-Munoz's death on Friday, July 17, 2026. The department stated that the Force Investigation Division, a specialized unit that investigates serious use-of-force cases, is in charge of determining what happened. The death was reported by NBC Los Angeles, with reporting by Helen Jeong and Dennis Broad.
In a separate incident in Chatsworth, a suspected DUI driver in a Tesla Cybertruck was taken into custody overnight following a chase that turned into a standoff on the 118 Freeway. The Los Angeles Police Department says it started at Beverly and San Vicente boulevards in Beverly Grove. At some point, officers upgraded it to a pursuit involving an assault with a deadly weapon suspect. The suspect led officers on a chase through portions of the San Fernando Valley before it ended in a crash on the westbound side of the freeway in Chatsworth around 2:20 a.m. Saturday. Police say the suspect refused to get out of the car for about an hour before they were taken into custody.
Chatsworth, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, has seen its share of domestic violence incidents. Local advocates stress the importance of community resources for families in crisis.
Domestic violence incidents often escalate quickly, requiring specialized police response. Los Angeles Police Department has protocols for such standoffs, including crisis negotiation teams.
The arrest brings a peaceful end to a dangerous situation, but the subsequent death in custody raises serious questions. Authorities urge anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help from local support services.
