Lengthy San Jose standoff ends with homicide suspect in custody

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police continue investigating the scene where a homicide suspect was taken into custody Thursday morning. This follows an hours-long standoff with officers that began Wednesday, which prompted police to use tear gas.

“I know my son isn’t capable of killing somebody. He’s a roughen in some ways,” said Art Pardo, Marcus’ father. “He has some issues. He’s gone through some break-ups. And stuff like that. And he’s been upset lately.”

He and Barb Pardo, Marcus’ stepmother, haven’t been able to return to their home on Vista Verde Drive in the Evergreen section of East San Jose since the standoff ended. San Jose police investigators say Marcus Pardo is wanted for a homicide, and tracked him to his parents neighborhood. An initial attempted arrest Wednesday afternoon sparked the standoff which stretched into the overnight and early morning hours.

“It’s scary. But then on the other hand, something similar happened before,” said neighbor Betty Ratchford.

Neighbors were sheltered-in-place as police first tried to talk Pardo out. When that failed, officers turned to tear gas.

“They did gas two times. That’s the type of tear gas that burns your nose and mouth and all that. And if you inhale it, you know. So they told me they were going to do gas, and some other things,” said neighbor Lorita Taylor.

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Early Thursday morning, Pardo was taken into custody, and is charged with committing a homicide. Detectives dressed in protective clothing are combing through two properties for evidence. Late in the day, some neighbors were still dealing with a police presence due to the investigation. The suspect’s stepmother laments a less destructive tactic could have accomplished the same goal, getting Marcus Pardo to surrender peacefully.

“I have no control over whatever he did. But if we could have resolved this in a different way, in a civil way. If they could have come to us and talked to us. I mean I’m humiliated. I feel bad for what happened to my neighbors,” said Barb Bond Pardo.

At least one neighbor’s home sustained heavy damage as Marcus moved from that house to his parent’s house. And officers, unaware of his movement, used tear gas on a neighbor’s unoccupied house.

San Jose police investigators plan to spell out exactly what Pardo’s accused of doing and when, and where.