SURPRISE, AZ – Police in the city of Surprise launched a dramatic rescue of a six-month-old baby amidst gunfire and an intense standoff that ultimately culminated in a house fire. The timeline of events disclosed by the Surprise police reveals a harrowing account where the baby’s father, not living with mother and child, illicitly entered the house around 3 a.m. Friday, barring the woman and their infant from leaving. Remarkably, the woman managed to escape a few hours later, sought the help of a construction crew, and raised the alarm to the authorities.
Police units initiated a bold intervention plan roughly within 11:30 a.m., making their entry into the house located in a residential area of new constructions near Loop 303 and Cactus Road. Braving a tumultuous setting, the officers rescued the baby, delivered immediate medical help, and organized air transport to a hospital. Despite the infant being shot, the injuries weren’t fatal, and the child underwent surgery on Friday.
The crisis scene took a fiery turn after 3 p.m. when the house where the father had hunkered down engulfed in flames, sending a plume of smoke visible over significant distances. The father’s status remained unknown, as confirmed by Sgt. Rick Hernandez of the Surprise police.
The escaping mother, in her 911 call, disclosed her ordeal of escaping the baby’s father and her fears for the child left behind in the hostile environment. Police officers, upon arriving at the location near 168th Avenue and Jenan Drive, were met with rounds of gunfire. The retaliatory fire was limited to a single shot, and no officers sustained injuries during the operation.
Tactical SWAT teams and police negotiators from Surprise, Goodyear, Peoria, and Phoenix were deployed to manage the evolving situation, cordoning off the area around the house and maintaining a wary distance considering the uncertainty around the shooting suspect’s presence. Concurrently, firefighters performed controlled firefighting to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent properties.
A complete investigation into the case, including the discharge of law enforcement weapons, will be led by the Buckeye Police Department.