Valinda neighbor helped rescue shooter's victim during multi-day standoff
Neighbor describes dramatic start to multi-day Valinda standoff
A Valinda woman put herself in danger to rescue a bloodied woman in the early hours of a more than two-day standoff with deputies.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - A neighbor in the Valinda community that was evacuated during a nearly three-day standoff between Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies is sharing her story after she helped one of the shooter's victims.
Yolanda Alvarado has lived in the neighborhood for more than 50 years. On Friday, March 10, she said she saw the suspected shooter — identified as 47-year-old Brandon Ursa — with a gun in his hands shortly before he started shooting.
"I looked up, and I see a man shooting across the street, aimed, and he shot," Alvarado said.
"And so I slammed the door shut, and I told my family to get down."
SUGGESTED: Valinda standoff with LASD ends after more than 2 full days
Alvarado said she heard a loud booming sound, watched the gunman point the weapon in her direction, and called 911 as people ran from the Wing Lane home.
Valinda standoff over after more than 48 hours, suspect dead
The suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The LASD is working to bring evacuated families back into their homes.
"A few minutes later, a lady comes out, the neighbor, and she's bleeding, crying, hysterical," Alvarado said.
Despite her fear, Alvarado jumped in to help the woman, who said her ex-boyfriend attacked her.
"She was bleeding, had gashes on her forehead and on her cheek, and [was] just swollen from the bruising that he gave her," Alvarado said. "I felt sorry for her, she had a towel holding back the blood."
Ursa holed himself up in the home for more than two full days while LASD deputies tried to convince him to come out. Ursa fired hundreds of shots out of the house over that time, officials said. The department pushed SWAT vehicles up against the home to block the shots, and ripped holes in the roof in order to use cameras to try and pinpoint Ursa in the home.
Shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday, the department reported that the standoff was over. Ursa was found dead in the home of an apparent suicide, according to LASD.
The nearly 10 families that had to be evacuated during the ordeal began returning to their homes Monday, including Alvarado.
"As far as I can see there are no bullet holes in the side of the house, so I imagine everything's okay," she said.
Ursa's official cause of death will be determined once an autopsy is performed by a doctor with the LA County coroner's office.