Storage unit standoff ends with arrest
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — A wanted Post Falls man who barricaded himself in a storage unit for about 18 hours surrendered to police on Tuesday afternoon.
Eric A. Gonzales, 35, Post Falls, surrendered at the Post Falls Mini Storage in the 2800 block of West Seltice Way between Elm and Corbin after police threatened to send in a K-9 through an opening from an adjoining unit.
"He took the wiser road and surrendered when we told him we had a K-9," Post Falls police Capt. Pat Knight said.
After Gonzales was reported to be holed up inside a unit at the business, police arrived around 10 p.m. on Monday. Gonzales was arrested around 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police temporarily left the business at 10 a.m. on Tuesday as Gonzales didn't appear to be likely to harm himself or others. However, Knight said the owner of the business didn't want Gonzales there any longer.
Knight said he and other law enforcement personnel had contact with Gonzales throughout the night and morning via both phone and at the storage unit. He said it was determined through those conversations and with others close to Gonzales that he didn't appear to be suicidal or a threat to anyone.
"It didn't seem worth destroying the property or kicking in the door over," Knight said.
Knight added Gonzales hadn't committed a crime worth taking immediate excessive action over. Knight said Gonzales was the only person in the unit.
Gonzales was wanted for felony malicious injury to property, failure to appear for a no-contact order violation and failure to appear for domestic battery charges.
His criminal history over the past 13 years includes arrests for battery, eluding, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, DUI, probation violations and obstructing.
Knight said earlier negotiations with Gonzales to come out of the storage unit "fell on deaf ears." He said there were conflicting stories about possible accounts that led Gonzales to holing up.
Early reports that Gonzales had gas and was threatening to burn himself or the business were unfounded, Knight said.
Gonzales told police he had propane to heat the unit.
"He made himself at home and had been staying there a couple days," Knight said. "He told us that he just wanted to get some sleep as he was tired from a long day of work."
Neighbors were temporarily evacuated from their homes near the business as a precaution.
An employee at Post Falls Mini Storage said Gonzales does not rent the unit. A message seeking comment from the owner of the business through that employee was not returned.