SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — There were some frightening moments in two San Diego neighborhoods Monday after 911 calls prompted two separate SWAT standoffs.
It was just after 11 a.m. when someone reported a stabbing at a Spring Valley motel.
Rose Washington lives in the senior apartments nearby on Campo Road.
"When I heard the helicopter, I said, what the heck is that during this time of day? So when we came out here, we saw all these police cruisers coming in," said Washington.
Sheriff's deputies say a man suffered minor injuries when he was stabbed in the hand. He went to the hospital, but the suspect barricaded himself inside the Crown Inn and Suites on Campo Road. That prompted a SWAT standoff and several road closures, with Campo Road blocked at Hollyhock Lane, Rogers Road and Kenwood Drive, as well as the State Route 94 on-ramp from Kenwood Drive.
People staying in the motel were told to stay in their rooms. Roughly 4 hours later, crisis negotiators convinced the man to surrender peacefully.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department later identified the suspect as Roger Bell, and he faces numerous charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment. Deputies say Bell threatened the victim and their friend with a gun and held them against their will for two hours. The men managed to escape and called 911.
Deputies from the Rancho San Diego station obtained a search warrant for Bell's room, and when executing the search, they found three handguns and numerous parts and tools to build AR-15 rifles.
"This area can be known for a lot of stuff, but I never experienced it live," said Washington.
Just as that standoff ended, another one was entering its fifth hour in the Sports Arena area.
According to police, a fight between two roommates led to SWAT officers evacuating people living in an apartment complex on Midway Drive west of Rosecrans. A man called the police, saying his roommate fired a gun at him after the victim told him to move out. The victim locked himself in a bathroom and called 911.
Ultimately, that standoff ended when police entered the apartment, but the suspected shooter was gone.
