-by F. Scott Faulkner
LOMPOC, CA — June 6, 2025 – A Lompoc man is behind bars following a tense two-hour standoff with law enforcement on Monday, June 3rd, after barricading himself inside an apartment while allegedly armed.
Lompoc Police were first alerted to a “possible domestic dispute” at an apartment complex on West North Avenue just after 1 p.m.. According to LPD spokesman Sgt. Scott Morgan, 35-year-old Lompoc resident Franco Aguiniga was involved in “a disturbance with a female companion,” during which witnesses reported hearing the woman screaming for help and Aguiniga “threatening that he had a weapon.”
When officers arrived, they located the woman outside, but Aguiniga had retreated into an apartment and refused to come out. Officers quickly secured the area and attempted to make contact with him.As the situation escalated, backup arrived in the form of additional officers, detectives, the Lompoc SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Teams, and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team. According to SBSD Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, authorities also discovered that Aguiniga had “an active no-bail warrant,” prompting detectives to obtain a search warrant for the residence.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m., the standoff ended peacefully when Aguiniga surrendered to SWAT officers without further incident. He was taken into custody and booked on the outstanding warrant. He remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
