A man accused of strangling his girlfriend and firing a shotgun blast at a Vista home Monday night was arrested after a brief standoff.

The 48-year-old man was jailed on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and willful discharge of a firearm, a sheriff’s official said.

The woman’s teenage son ran from the Girard Way home, near Coventry Road, and called 911 about 9:40 p.m. He reported that his mother’s boyfriend had pointed a shotgun at them, sheriff’s Sgt. William Munsch said.

The boyfriend was alleged to have battered and strangled the woman at their home and to have fired a shotgun round into the backyard patio deck, Munsch said.


A sheriff’s helicopter crew spotted the couple in the backyard. Deputies surrounded the house and used a public address system to order them to come out.

The woman came out first and was taken to a safe place, Munsch.

A SWAT team was called in, but before they got there, the man surrendered about 10:10 p.m.