What was originally a typical Tuesday afternoon in downtown San Luis Obispo quickly became a standoff between 44 responders and a hotel guest who had barricaded herself in her room.
Garden Street flashed with police lights on Sept. 9. A matte black “SWAT Rescue” vehicle was parked off the corner of Marsh and Garden streets as the small one-way area was roped off with crime scene tape. Police scanned the premises of Hotel Cerro with snipers, and a drone buzzed overhead.
“No one comes in,” an officer informed numerous spectators, inching in for a peek at the action.
According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department, officers responded to a call the morning of Sept. 9 as Hotel Cerro staff reported that a woman had refused to leave her room and claimed to have a knife or gun.
Police later identified the woman as Patrica Castaneda, a 40-year-old Grover Beach resident who had stayed the previous night at the hotel.
SLO Police Department Neighborhood Outreach Manager Christine Wallace told New Times via email it’s assumed that Castaneda was experiencing a personal crisis.
Once patrol officers arrived at the scene that afternoon, Castaneda had reportedly barricaded herself in the room. SLO Police said that the SLO Community Action Team attempted to negotiate, but she remained uncooperative.
Police then established a perimeter around the area and evacuated all hotel rooms on the floor as a precaution.
By 1 p.m., the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT and Crisis Negotiation teams arrived. Police in camouflage uniforms carrying rifles and ballistic shields entered the hotel, and paramedics sat across the street on standby.
“I hope you aren’t needed,” a passerby told the paramedics as she nervously walked out of the hotel and toward the outside of the perimeter.
While drones buzzed overhead, various local business owners on Garden Street gathered to discuss closing for the day, unsure of how long the standoff would last. A few did end up closing their stores.
The Police Department obtained an arrest warrant, and after several hours, according to SLO Police Department’s statement, negotiators were eventually able to get Castaneda out of the room. She was taken into custody without incident on suspicion of felony criminal threats and was transported to the SLO County Jail with bail set at $50,000.
No knives or guns were found in the room, according to the Police Department. ∆
This article appears in Student Guide 2025.
“Dammit, bring me another mint for my pillow, or there’s gonna’ be trouble…..”