Costa Mesa man charged Friday in standoff with police

A 37-year-old Costa Mesa man was charged Friday in a domestic violence conflict that led to a 10-hour standoff with police in Costa Mesa.

A woman who reported being assaulted about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday was able to escape the home in the 3200 block of Dakota Avenue, according to Roxi Fyad of the Costa Mesa Police Department. The couple’s two children, whose ages were not immediately known, remained inside the home with Tyler Nathan Thornton when officers arrived.

It was not clear if Thornton and the victim were married, but they lived together with their children at the residence, Fyad said.

Police said Thornton had a registered firearm and threatened responding officers. Police later found a handgun, two long guns and an airsoft replica gun, Fyad said.

Nearby homes were evacuated as a SWAT team and K-9 units took positions around the residence. Traffic was also diverted from the area as a crisis negotiation team communicated with the suspect, who surrendered peacefully just before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Police said the children were recovered “safe and sound.”

Police said they notified the Newport-Mesa Unified School District about the standoff because two schools are nearby, but there were no reports of disruptions at those campuses.

Thornton was charged with single counts each of false imprisonment, corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and resisting arrest as well as two counts of child abuse and endangerment, all felonies.

Thornton pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday and was ordered to return to court Nov. 16 for a pretrial hearing in the West Justice Center in Westminster.

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