The armed man who barricaded himself in a vehicle for nearly six hours on Monday is facing several felonies, including robbery.

Around 6 a.m. Monday, deputies received reports of a robbery on the 23000 block of Soledad Canyon Road in Saugus originally reported as a Bouquet Canyon Road address, said Deputy Natalie Arriaga, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“It was reported a male white adult with a handgun was standing behind the register,” Arriaga said. “As deputies arrived, the suspect entered a white Chevy Tahoe with stolen merchandise and drove off on the wrong side of the road leading to a vehicle pursuit, during which the suspect’s vehicle collided with a street sign.”

The pursuit came to an end in a cul-de-sac on the 19000 block of Newhouse Street in Canyon Country, where he barricaded himself inside the vehicle.

Law enforcement negotiated with the man alongside family members they had called to the scene, but a significant shift in procedure occurred when the man demanded to speak with media at the scene over the phone.

A moment of honesty.

You may have seen today’s barricaded suspect and wondered why you didn’t hear a lot from me.

It’s because I was listening to the suspect.

It began when his older sister ran up to me and said her brother wanted to speak with me — the man barricaded in his pic.twitter.com/YNskUc64CY

— Austin Dave (@AustinDave_) April 25, 2023

Through conversation, it was determined that the barricaded man was likely experiencing psychosis connected to methamphetamine use, a common occurrence according to experts.

“This is his or her reality in that moment,” said Cary Quashen, director of Action Drug Rehab. “You can tell them the voices aren’t real, and what he smells isn’t real, and what he sees isn’t real (…) but guess what? It is real, to them.”

Psychosis refers to a mental state wherein the person experiences it experiences a loss of contact with reality, and can be caused or exacerbated by a multitude of health conditions, mental illness, or drug use. It is especially common in relation to methamphetamine use, with some studies estimating that approximately 46 percent of meth users experience at least an episode of psychosis. Quashen estimates that number to be much higher.

“You can’t enforce (the delusion) because they’re already doing that to themselves. You can listen to them, you can let them know that you are here with them and that they’re safe… you don’t want to escalate ever, and you cannot challenge them on what they believe, because to them it’s real,” Quashen cautioned.

After a six hour-standoff with unsuccessful attempts to negotiate, the LASD Special Enforcement Bureau eventually used teargas to apprehend the man.

Christopher Schultz, 35 was arrested and booked for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest, all felonies, Arriaga added.

Schultz remains in custody as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Arriaga.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.