Police subdue man with Taser following rampage

Behavior may be result of hallucinations, his friend tells police.

May 22, 2013|By Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Robert Lee Saunders was arrested on suspicion of burglary… (Courtesy of the…)

A 45-year-old man faces multiple misdemeanor charges after allegedly going on a rampage Monday in the Riverside Rancho area of Glendale. He entered multiple properties, eventually ending up on a resident's rollout bed, refusing to leave until police arrived and arrested him, officials said.

Robert Lee Saunders is charged with aggravated trespassing, assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm, and resisting an officer, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.

Saunders' odd behavior began early Monday when he entered his friend's home in nothing but his boxers and then proceeded to dress himself in a pair of his friend's pants, according to Glendale police. He then told his friend he had to exit through a window, opened one, removed the screen and jumped out, police said.

He later ran into LTZ Auto Imports in the 1600 block of Victory Boulevard, where he sprinted to the restroom, opened the door, peered in and quickly left, police said.

An auto shop worker saw Saunders climb onto oil drums, then a garage rooftop before jumping into a pool of a home in the 300 block of Winchester Avenue, police said.

Later, at about 3:08 p.m., Saunders entered the back of the home and was confronted by the residents, according to Glendale police.

That's when he allegedly picked up a wood chair and charged one of the residents, police said.

As he frantically rummaged through a chest of drawers, the residents ran for safety and called for help, police said. Meanwhile, the husband of one of the home's occupants got a call from his daughter notifying him of Saunders' presence.

He left work and rushed home, where he found Saunders standing in the backyard by the pool. Saunders reportedly said he wasn't going anywhere and demanded that the couple, their daughters and grandparents leave instead.

Saunders then entered the home and came to rest on a rollout bed, police said.

Police officers arrived a short time later and asked Saunders several times to roll onto his stomach, but he instead urged them to shoot him.

He reportedly continued to ignore police demands, prompting officers to stun him with a Taser.

Saunders was arrested on suspicion of burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and giving police a bogus name.

The husband told police he didn't feel threatened by Saunders but feared for the safety of his daughters.

Saunders' friend told police he thought Sanders was hallucinating because he had been saying strange things the day before.

Saunders denied using drugs or alcohol within the last 24 hours, police said.

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Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.

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