Domestic violence suspect throws Molotov cocktail at officer

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Molotov cocktail, a hunting knife, and a pellet gun that looks like a handgun - these are the weapons investigators say Alexander Vasquez had on him during his arrest at a home on Sixth Street in the Delhi area Thursday night.

Family members called 911 to report that the 21-year-old had assaulted his girlfriend and then locked both of them in a bedroom.

"One of our deputies went around the back side of that bedroom to look through the window, and when she looked through the window she realized Vasquez was holding a Molotov cocktail. It was lit on fire, he threw it out the window at her. Luckily she was able to get out of the way, and it exploded at her feet. She's doing fine. She was not injured," says Merced County Sheriff's deputy Daryl Allen.

That's when other deputies forced their way into the bedroom.

"He was standing in the middle of the room with another Molotov cocktail in his hand with the lighter. So he was ready to light it, he was ready to throw it at the deputies as they came through. Luckily they were able to act very quickly. They deployed their Taser and were able to take him into custody."

Allen says domestic violence calls are often among the most dangerous for law enforcement, and with all of the weapons involved in this case, he's thankful that the victim was not seriously hurt and that his comrades went home safely.

"These people are my friends, they are my family. I work with these people on a daily basis. So to hear that one of my family members had a Molotov cocktail thrown at them, it's mind-blowing."

Vasquez is now booked here in the jail for assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, possession of a destructive device, spousal abuse, and DUI.

His bail is set at $145,000.