CdA standoff ends in fire, death

Fire broke out in a northeast Coeur d’Alene duplex early Wednesday shortly after police fired tear gas into it in an effort to force an end to a nine-hour standoff with an armed man who died at the scene.

Investigators have not said how the blaze began at 1517 Satre Ave., but flames engulfed the duplex just after 2 a.m., a few minutes after tear gas canisters were fired into the structure, Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Kenny Gabriel said.

“Until we’re done investigating, we rule nothing out,” Gabriel said.

As firefighters worked to douse the flames, members of a multi-agency Special Response Unit went inside and found the body of Nicolas C. Castanon, 24, in the bathroom, along with a loaded AK-47 assault rifle with a 30-round clip and a round in the chamber, police said.

Investigators would not comment Wednesday on a possible cause of death. Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Christie Wood wouldn’t say if Castanon had any obvious injuries. An autopsy will be performed later this week, Wood said.

Castanon, who recently moved from Sacramento, Calif., barricaded himself in the duplex Tuesday evening after city police officers came to the home to arrest him on an outstanding warrant from California. He was also wanted for questioning in a stabbing last month near a Coeur d’Alene bikini bar.

Wood said Castanon refused to come out. Police spent hours trying to get him to surrender, with a negotiator calling out to him over a loudspeaker.

Eventually, several rounds of tear gas were fired into the home to try to force out Castanon. When the fire broke out, firefighters could not get inside the home to fight the flames because Castanon had barricaded the door using a washer and dryer, Gabriel said Wednesday.

He said there were also concerns about sending firefighters inside because authorities believed Castanon was armed and dangerous.

A man and woman were in the home when police arrived, and the pair left the duplex unharmed. They told police Castanon had numerous weapons and ammunition in the house, including the assault rifle, a MAC-10 submachine gun and several rifles and handguns.

Police were also told that Castanon, who has a violent criminal history, did not want to return to prison. He served time in San Quentin State Prison in California for attempted murder in connection with a drive-by shooting, Wood said. He was wanted on a warrant for violating terms of his parole.

A pit bull terrier that police say belonged to Castanon was shot and killed after it came out of the duplex and reportedly charged a sheriff’s deputy and his police dog.

Homes in a two-block radius were evacuated after the standoff began.

Wood said some residents refused to go and ignored police orders to at least stay inside their homes if they wouldn’t leave.

“We had to continually ask them to go back inside their residences,” she said. “They wanted to watch. They put themselves in danger many times.”

Ray and Betty Capaul, who live across the street from the duplex, spent the night parked in their car a safe distance from the scene.

Ray Capaul said they could hear police shooting tear gas into the duplex some time before the fire started. After flames appeared, Capaul said he heard an explosion.

The Capauls have lived in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years.

Lately, Ray Capaul said, there had been a lot of turnover in tenants at the duplexes across from him, and he didn’t know the victim or tenants.

Police recently identified Castanon as a “person of interest” in the June 15 stabbing near the Torch Lounge, a downtown Coeur d’Alene bikini bar, Wood said.

Nestor Cubillas-Ronquillo, 21, survived being stabbed several times in an alley after leaving the bar.

Police were planning to get a warrant of their own to obtain physical evidence from Castanon that could link him to the crime, Wood said. Before they could do that, police learned of the California warrant, and officers went to arrest him.

They obtained their own warrant a couple of hours after the standoff began.

Wood wouldn’t say how Castanon was linked to the stabbing, but she did say there may be additional suspects in the incident.