Edinburg SWAT Save Employees, Arrests Armed Suspect After Hours-long Standoff at Smoke Shop Without Firing a Shot

Staff Report

EDINBURG TX – Edinburg police arrested a 23-year-old man late Thursday after a hours-long standoff at a smoke shop on the city’s north side.

The Edinburg Police Department responded just before 6 p.m. to reports of an aggravated robbery at a smoke shop located at 2326 N. Sugar Rd. Officers arriving on scene learned that a manager and two employees were inside the business with an armed suspect.

Employees Safely Evacuated

Using a live video feed, officers coordinated the safe exit of the employees from the building. The suspect remained barricaded inside.

SWAT Takes Control

SWAT arrived on scene and assumed control of negotiations. At approximately 9:30 p.m., the SWAT team entered the shop and took the suspect into custody without incident. No injuries were reported at any point during the standoff.

Suspect Identified

The suspect has been identified as Guadalupe Ernesto Garcia Jr., 23, of Edinburg. He is facing a charge of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony.

Authorities stated there was no believed danger to the surrounding community at any time during the incident.

Source – Edinburg Police Department

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