Union City Standoff Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder Of Officer
UNION CITY (CBS SF) -- An 18-year-old Union City man was charged Monday with attempting to murder a peace officer and six other felonies in connection with a burglary and long standoff with police last week.
In addition to the attempted murder charge, Lamar Lomack faces two counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer and four counts of child endangerment.
Authorities allege that Lomack, who was free on bail in an unrelated case, placed two babies and two other children in harm's way in the incident that started around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, when Union City police received a report of a burglary near Darlene Way and Jean Drive.
Lomack and co-defendant Christopher Gaines, 19, who is charged with first-degree residential burglary, were arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court in Fremont and are scheduled to return to court soon to enter pleas.
Union City police said Gaines hangs out in their city but does not have a permanent residence and also hangs out in other cities in the Bay Area.
Lomack is being held in lieu of $3.2 million bail and Gaines is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Union City police Lt. Ben Horner said residents of the burglarized house were upstairs when they heard a knock at the door last Thursday morning and then heard glass breaking.
When the residents came downstairs, they saw a male intruder. He was startled and ran away, Horner said.
Neighbors called police and reported seeing a man running through backyards and jumping over fences, he said. Officers arrived and began investigating the burglary and found a person of interest on Darlene Way.
When the officers approached the man, later identified as Lomack, he pulled out a handgun and fired at them and the officers fired back, Horner said. No officers were struck by the gunfire, he said. Lomack dodged the shots and ran away from police.
Residents were then ordered to stay in their homes and some people were evacuated, including two children from the site of the shooting, Horner said.
Police also evacuated elderly residents around 5 p.m. Thursday from the Rose Residential Care Facility and took them to a nearby community center.
Union City police, who were assisted by police from Newark, Fremont and BART, as well as Alameda County sheriff's deputies, conducted a lengthy and extensive search of the area and eventually arrested Lomack and Gaines.
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