LANCASTER (CNS) - A man who barricaded himself when agents came to a Lancaster home today after he missed a court appearance where he was expected to plead guilty to a child pornography charge was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The barricade situation began about 11:40 a.m. in the 43600 block of Santa Rosa Circle, according to Deputy Armando Viera Jr. of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Information Bureau.
The suspect was identified as 57-year-old Daniel Zekoll, who was due to plead guilty to a federal child pornography charge, according to NBC4.
Shots were heard coming from the house when agents went to the home because the suspect missed a court date, a sheriff's sergeant told a news photographer at the scene.
A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were dispatched to try to bring the standoff to a close without further incident, Viera said.
The Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau tweeted about 9 p.m. that deputies made entry into the home and found the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.