Valley Village Standoff Ends With No Arrests

A police standoff that lasted several hours in Valley Village ended with no arrests early Sunday morning.

The LAPD received a call of "shots fired" in the area of Whittsett Avenue and Albers Street around midnight. When officers responded to the call, they heard more shots and determined the residence it was coming from, according to Sgt. Frank Albarron of the LAPD North Hollywood Division.

Police set up a containment around the house, called in an air unit and found some shell casings in the back yard, leading them to believe there was someone in the house with a handgun. They called people out of the house, Albarron said, and one male exited but a male and female inside the house remained.

After several hours, as the helicopter hovered, Albarron said police realized the male and female had fallen asleep and were able to enter the house and take the male and female into custody without incident. 

However, all the people who were in the house denied firing the shots, saying there were other people who were at the house earlier who were responsible. Police searched the house and found no weapon. Albarron guessed the shots were likely fired into the air.

"They were all saying it was other people who fired the shots, and since we were unable to determine who was responsible no one was arrested," said Albarron.

A neighbor, Anna Ruiz, who has lived nearby for 30 years, said the neighborhood is nice but she has seen wild partying and people who look like "gangsters" coming and going from the house where the standoff took place.

Anthony Pardinez contributed to this report.