Kidnapping suspect treated for dog bites, gunshot wounds

Dennis Elliot Shellhouse, a Phenix City, Ala. resident who allegedly attempted to kidnap a Lake Sherwood woman, was taken to the hospital to be treated for dog bites and gunshot wounds last week.

The armed suspect, representing himself as a courier, met the victim in front of her home. After she escaped, the man fled, leading authorities on a threehour pursuit followed by a fourhour standoff east of downtown Los Angeles.

Although he threatened to kill himself during the standoff, the L. A. County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team managed to take him into custody after shoving a tear gas grenade into his vehicle, shooting him once, and sending a dog to grab him out of the van he was driving.

Shellhouse was armed with two guns and a knife, according to authorities, but doesn’t have a prior criminal record. He is married and has two children and was in Southern California on a business trip.

Eric Nishimoto, spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, said that no additional information was available as of last Friday.

The suspect faces charges in both L.A. County and Ventura County.

––Sylvie Belmond