BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer
LAKEWOOD — Police subdued a man who broke into a township home and stole a knife and hammer on Monday night, according to police Capt. Rob Lawson.
Police arrested an individual whose name is believed to be David Alcala, 26, of Coventry Drive. Lawson said the suspect was living in the United States without legal documentation. He said the federal Office of Homeland Security has been notified of the arrest.
Lawson said the incident occurred on June 6 at about 5 p.m. Officers were dispatched to an address on Coventry Drive in response to a 911 call. The caller stated that an unknown male with a firearm had entered the residence and that the family members had locked themselves in an upstairs room in order to remain safe.
Sgt. Louis Sasso and officers Leroy Marshall, Summer Cunliffe, Felix Rivera and Steve Allaire responded. While the officers were en route, the dispatcher told them that neighboring residents had called to report a disturbance involving two males with knives.
The officers went into the residence from which the initial 911 call had been made to look for a man with a handgun or several men with knives. When they had ascertained that the suspect was no longer in the house, they told the family it was safe to come downstairs, according to the captain.
As the officers were clearing the house, Cunliffe told the family members she had seen the suspect outside with a knife and a hammer, Lawson said.
The officers confronted the man with weapons drawn and ordered him to drop his knife. Rivera spoke in Spanish and ordered the suspect to drop his knife, while the other officers yelled the same command in English. The suspect did not react to the order in either language and kept walking toward the officers. He did not drop the weapon, according to Lawson.
Sasso advised the other officers he was going to fire the FN303, which uses air pressure to dispense a projectile containing oleo capsicum, which contains the same ingredient found in pepper spray. After he fired, the suspect dropped the weapons. As a result, the officers did not have to resort to deadly force, said Lawson.
Marshall and Allaire approached the suspect to try and arrest him once he was disarmed. When they got close, Alcala began to resist by attempting to punch the officers, according to the captain.
Allaire struck Alcala with his hand, causing the suspect to fall to the ground. The suspect immediately began to get up. Another officer on scene, Peter Smoke, then sprayed the suspect with oleo capsicum. The suspect subsequently ceased to resist arrest and was handcuffed. Cunliffe administered first aid to a cut on Alcala’s head, Lawson said.
“The suspect was transported to Kimball Medical Center for treatment, where he may have been treated with several stitches to his head,” said Lawson.
He said the officers went back to the home where the break-in had occurred and asked a woman who lives there what had happened. She told police the suspect pushed his way into the residence and asked her if she had any knives. He then went into her kitchen and grabbed a knife and a hammer and walked out, according to the captain.
“Evidently, this individual, who we arrested, thought his friend was in trouble and took the items in order to assist his friend,” said Lawson. “We believe this individual to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. We’re not even sure Alcala is his correct name.”
Alcala was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, two counts of illegal possession of a weapon, two counts of possession of a weapon for an illegal purpose, two counts of armed burglary and two counts of theft. His bail was set at $100,000, with no 10 percent, said Lawson.
The captain said Detective Lawrence Doyle is conducting the follow-up investigation.