Seal Beach man arrested for allegedly assaulting officers, barricading self in business

Seal Beach police Tuesday arrested a 44-year-old local man who had barricaded himself inside the utility room of an auto repair business during a one-hour standoff after allegedly assaulting two officers who’d tried to detain him.

Police responded to the 300 block of 7th Street shortly after 8:45 a.m., after receiving reports of a suspicious individual “banging on cars and climbing in trees” in the area, the Seal Beach Police Department reported in a release Tuesday.

Officers observed the individual — Jordan Molina, 44, of Seal Beach — kicking a parked car and attempted to detain him, but an altercation ensued. Molina allegedly assaulted the officers and then fled on foot to a nearby property as the officers called for backup, according to the release.

The suspect then locked himself inside an area of the repair business and remained there for the next 60 minutes as officers attempted to negotiate with him. The Orange County Sheriff Department’s K-9 unit, along with officers from Cypress and Los Alamitos police departments, provided assistance at the scene, Seal Beach police reported.

Officers eventually gained entry to the utility room and apprehended Molina without further incident, the release indicated. The two officers involved in the altercation were hospitalized for minor injuries, while the suspect was also transported to a local hospital for medical clearance.

Molina was booked on two counts of resisting or deterring officers by force, and an investigation is ongoing, SBPD reported.

Anyone who may have more information about Tuesday’s incident or the events leading up to it is encouraged to contact Sgt. Joe Garcia at (562) 799-4100, ext. 1649 or jfgarcia@sealbeachca.gov.