Assault at Holiday Gathering Leads to 7-Hour Standoff

A Thanksgiving gathering turned violent when a parolee choked a female guest into unconsciousness at his home Thursday night, authorities said.

At 11:54 p.m., Arthur Anthony Lopez, 29, choked the unidentified woman until she passed out, then threatened other family members at the party with a rifle, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Toni Wilson.

Lopez, who is on parole for a killing, fled his home in the 13900 block of Moccasin Street and barricaded himself at a friend’s house two doors down, Wilson said.

Deputies arrived at the house of the friend, who is also a parolee, but were denied access. An additional 14 units were called for backup, including the SWAT team, authorities said.

After a nearly seven-hour standoff, deputies fired tear gas into the house and took Lopez into custody at 6:45 a.m. A rifle was later recovered in a detached garage next to the home. Lopez was alone in the house at the time of his arrest.

Lopez faces charges of attempted murder and domestic abuse and is scheduled for arraignment Monday. The woman was treated at an area hospital but her condition was not available.

As a third-time offender, Lopez faces the possibility of a life sentence without parole under the state’s three-strikes law, authorities said.