Moses Lake standoff ends in arrest

MOSES LAKE — An armed Moses Lake man was arrested after a four-hour standoff with police early Saturday, the Grant County Sheriff's Office reports.

Rafael Alfredo Sabedra, 46, was arrested for investigation of two counts of second-degree assault, felon in possession of a firearm and domestic violence, according to the sheriff's office.

Sabedra's wife, 43-year-old Bertha Sabedra-Orozco of Moses Lake, called 911 to report her husband was in the grip of a "drug-induced rage" and tearing apart their residence, on Wild Goose Lane in the Cascade Valley, the sheriff's office reports.

The Moses Lake Police Department was asked to assist with the incident as sheriff's deputies in Moses Lake were busy with an unrelated incident.

Bertha Sabedra, who was able to flee the residence with her children, told two responding police officers her husband was threatening to shoot anyone who entered their home, Chief Criminal Deputy John Turley said.

Police describe seeing Rafael Sabedra at the front window, allegedly displaying what appeared to be either a rifle or shotgun toward the officers, Turley said.

The regional Tactical Response Team of police arrived with an armored personnel carrier and set up a command post on Wild Goose Lane, he said.

The standoff started about 1:30 a.m.

When police negotiators received no response to pleas for communication, a pepper-spray projectile was fired through a bedroom window, Turley said.

Rafael Sabedra, who has a 1978 conviction for second-degree assault, immediately came to the front door and surrendered about 5:45 a.m., Turley said.

Rafael Sabedra was treated by emergency medical personnel from Grant County Fire District 5. He was then transported to Grant County Jail.