Suspect in custody, baby safe after 12 hour standoff in Newark

NEWARK, Calif. (KTVU) - A 12 hour hostage situation ended peacefully with a domestic violence suspect in custody and his one-year-old son reunited with his mother.

Newark police say at 9:15 a.m. Friday officers went to an apartment in the 36700 block of Sycamore Street to deliver an emergency protective order to a domestic violence victim.

"We were going to provide the victim with her copy of it so she'd have a copy in hand and low and behold the suspect was there," says Commander Renny Lawson of Newark Police.

Police say the male suspect is 37-year-old Rudy Soto of Newark. They say Soto barricaded himself and his son inside their apartment.

Officers immediately began going door to door evacuating people in nearby units and buildings.

Police told other residents to shelter in place. All the while negotiating with the suspect to surrender and release the toddler.

"It's his child, he's not armed he's not harmed the child, he has not made any threats to harm the child," says Lawson.

Throughout the day loved ones separated due to the standoff were reunited.

Police say Soto said he would give himself up then changed his mind, saying he wanted to spend more time with his son.

But at 9:14 p.m. Friday Soto released his son and surrendered without incident.