Police arrest San Rafael woman barricaded in bathroom

(KRON) — A 30-year-old San Rafael woman triggered an aerial search and caused a neighborhood to shelter-in-place Tuesday night. Police identified the woman as Antoinae Tajzahnique Austin.

The incident began at 5:30 p.m. when Austin allegedly stabbed a victim inside a housing facility on Kerner Boulevard where Austin lives, the San Rafael Police Department said. A 911 caller at the facility reported that Austin had stabbed another resident in the stomach, SRPD said.

Police said Austin was arguing with the resident before she pulled out a knife and attacked. Austin fled from the area before police arrived, and the victim was rushed to a hospital, SRPD said.

Over on San Pablo Avenue, at 6:50 p.m., “SRPD received another emergency call of a female suspect who approached another person and made criminal threats to harm them while holding a knife. While officers responded to that scene, it was reported that Austin fled into the open space.”

Police issued a shelter-in-place order for San Pablo Avenue residents.

SRPD officers, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter unit searched the open space for any sign of Austin.

“At 7:50 p.m., and as the search was occurring, SRPD received a call that Austin returned to the living facility on Kerner Boulevard,” the police department wrote.

Officers returned back Kerner Boulevard and found Austin had barricaded herself inside a bathroom at the living facility, according to SRPD.

“Austin refused to come out, and the San Rafael and Novato Regional Crisis Negotiation Team worked for 40 minutes to get Austin to surrender peacefully. Austin refused to surrender, and officers forced entry into the bathroom, where they took her into custody,” the police department wrote.

Austin was booked into the Marin County Jail for felony assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing of a knife, and resisting arrest.