Newport Beach Man Arrested on Outstanding Warrant After Standoff

A Newport Beach man was arrested at his home recently after he refused to come out as police were attempting to serve an outstanding warrant from New York, The Orange County Register reported.

The man was wanted on a theft charge out of New York. It isn't often that police will use the S.W.A.T. team to make an arrest for a Newport Beach theft charge, but depending on the circumstances, they may be willing to use those types of resources.

Newport Beach criminal defense attorneys recognize that different law enforcement agencies handle these situations through varied policies. But regardless of the tactics used to make an arrest, every criminal defendant requires a fair trial.

In this case, U.S. marshals were provided a tip that a man from Westchester County New York -- just north of New York City -- was living in Newport Beach. The man had an outstanding warrant for felony larceny.

The man refused to come out of the house after police requested he give himself up. Police say he barricaded himself into the house and they knew he was registered as the owner of several weapons, including two AR-15 rifles.

Police said they evacuated neighboring homes and closed streets nearby. Police used a helicopter to circle overhead and monitor the situation. The newspaper reports that the S.W.A.T. team went into the home and eventually were able to take the man into custody.

The newspaper reports that the man suffered minor injuries during the apprehension. The man was arrested and is awaiting extradition to New York. He is accused of taking money from homeowners under the promise of modifying their home loans, the newspaper is reporting.

Outstanding warrants are difficult to deal with because sometimes a person doesn't know that they are wanted, especially if it's from another state. People can be investigated for a crime and not know that law enforcement figures are looking to arrest them. They can move to another state and not understand the charges are following them.

Sometimes, police in other states will find out that the person has moved into their area and attempt to make an arrest, as was the case here. But in other situations, police may know that the person is living in a new area with a warrant until they pull the driver over. Unless the charge is a major felony, such as a sex crime or a homicide charge, this is the most likely way a person gets arrested on an outstanding warrant.

But sometimes police can be aggressive in these situations, even if the arrest is made after a common traffic stop. These aggressive actions can sometimes lead to injuries for the suspect when police act without thinking things through. These can be dangerous situations.

Regardless of how the arrest goes down, the defendant requires sound legal representation. Just because a warrant has been issued doesn't mean the police are right. Prosecutors must still prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt.