O.C. man ends standoff after letting children go

A Stanton man surrendered peacefully Monday after holding two of his children hostage inside the family’s apartment during an eight-hour standoff with sheriff’s deputies that forced the evacuation of nearby homes.

Paul Rivera, 41, was being held at Orange County Jail on charges including terrorist threats and cruelty to a child.

The incident began when Rivera’s wife reported that her husband had threatened her with a gun and she fled the apartment with the couple’s 4-year-old, Barnes said.

Rivera freed his 13-year-old daughter about 8:30 a.m., and his 8-year-old son three hours later, both unharmed, Barnes said. Minutes after that, Rivera came out unarmed, Barnes said.