Tip on fugitive led to lengthy police standoff

A tip that a fugitive was in his southwest Fresno home with his four children, grandmother and great-grandmother led to an hour-and-half standoff with officers.

When officers arrived at 740 S. Arthur Ave., fugitive Jesse Christopher Torres’ common law wife, Misty Dawn Palmier, alerted him by whistling so he knew to hide and escape, Fresno police Lt. Joe Gomez said. Torres was seen near the front door holding a small child and ran back inside.

Torres refused to come out when officers demanded he surrender, remaining inside with his 84-year-old great-grandmother, his 63-year-old grandmother, and his four small children, the youngest only a month and the oldest 4 years old.

At one point, Torres held up a child to a window so officers would know there were children inside. A police negotiator was summoned to the scene to talk with Torres and convinced him to let his family leave the home. Torres surrendered without further incident once all family members were outside.

Palmier was arrested on charges of obstructing officers, willful cruelty to children and being an accessory to crime. Torres was arrested on charges of obstructing officers, willful cruelty to children and a felony fugitive arrest warrant from South Dakota. Both were booked at the Fresno County Jail.

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Tip on fugitive led to lengthy police standoff."