U.S. Marshals nab suspect from South Park rental

Agents of the U.S. Marshals Service raided a house in South Park on Wednesday January 15, at 4:30 p.m., arresting at least one occupant and detaining two others while they searched the house.

Ten armed officers, wearing green flak vests over casual attire, served an undisclosed warrant at 1505 Fern Street, at the corner of Beech. A number of the windows in the building were papered over inside. Numerous neighborhood residents walked past as the large group of armed men surrounded the property, and few lingered.

The large Craftsman home is split into multiple rental units, and while officers quickly gained entry to dwellings at the front of the house, they encountered some difficulty opening a door on the southeast corner of the house, facing Beech Street. They handcuffed a male and female resident in the house's yard as they secured the rest of the house and focused on the rear entry.

Officers took note of a security camera mounted over the locked door, while their attempts to communicate with any inhabitants within went disregarded.

The team of marshals proceeded to force entry, weapons drawn, loudly announcing their presence. From within the house, shouts and a scream could be heard. Moments after, the marshals led out a young woman wearing a dark shirt and red shorts, hands cuffed behind her back. Another marshal exited the house carefully carrying a black shotgun.

The woman, who appeared to be in her early 20s, claimed she had been "shocked," repeatedly insisting she hadn't done anything wrong, and had been taking a shower while they were knocking. In response, one of the marshals asked her why she had been hiding in a closet with the shotgun when they entered. She claimed to have been hiding out of fear and said she had no knowledge there was a shotgun in the closet.

While the officers did not seem to locate a person they were looking for, they secured the house, and the evening proceeded without incident.

A witness who lives nearby said this was not the first law-enforcement activity to taking place at this address in recent months. However, the SDPD would not comment about any open or pending cases due to legal concerns.

Officers on the scene also declined to comment, and calls to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force were not immediately returned.