A bomb squad robot was credited with bringing an armed standoff at a Texas hotel to a peaceful end after safely incapacitating a gunman who had barricaded himself inside. The suspect, 39-year-old Felix Delarosa, had been wanted for parole violations, including tampering with his monitoring device.
The Texas Anti-Gang unit tracked Delarosa to a Days Inn in Lubbock, where he was holed up in a room. Officers initially approached the suspect, but he responded by firing shots, leading to a standoff. Negotiators from the Lubbock County Sheriff’s SWAT team tried to convince Delarosa to surrender peacefully, but he refused and fired more shots.
After a sheriff’s sniper allegedly wounded Delarosa, law enforcement sent in the bomb squad robot to handle the situation. The robot approached the broken window of Delarosa’s room, but the suspect attempted to disable the machine by throwing a bed sheet over it, which failed. Delarosa then fired at the robot, but it remained unaffected.
The robot responded by deploying tear gas into the room, forcing Delarosa out. As he crawled onto the ground, the robot moved over him, pinning him in place. In an unusual turn of events, the robot’s wheels dragged down Delarosa’s pants as he struggled, making it easier for the SWAT team to move in and arrest him.
Delarosa was taken to a local hospital before being transported to the Lubbock County Detention Center. He is now facing charges of aggravated assault on a public servant. Authorities emphasized that using the robot prevented any further danger to officers and ended the standoff without further violence.
