Dramatic Video: Fearing Suspect Might Kill Himself and His Four Kids, Police Take 'Proactive Approach' to End Hour-Long Standoff

SAN DIEGO (TheBlaze/AP) -- A three-day search for a man wanted for questioning in his wife's disappearance and the abduction of their four young sons ended dramatically Thursday when police officers tackled him on a freeway bridge as he began climbing over a railing 150 feet above the ground. All four boys were rescued unharmed.

Police feared Daniel Perez might kill himself and his boys when he stopped on a freeway ramp after a pursuit that lasted about 10 minutes and reached speeds of 85 mph, California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein said.

Police in Southern California confirmed the body of a woman found in the car's trunk is 39-year-old Erica Perez, the suspect's wife. The Honda Accord and the body were found Wednesday night about a half-mile from the family's home in Montebello.

Police apprehend Daniel Diego Perez after he tried to jump off a freeway bridge in Santee, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. The arrest of Perez, wanted in an Amber Alert for taking his four children and the possible homicide of his wife, capped three days of intense search efforts. Investigators found a car belonging to Perez and his wife with the body of a dead woman in the trunk about a half-mile from their home. (AP Photo/U-T San Diego, John Gibbins)

A police negotiator spoke by phone with Perez, 43, who released two boys. Police sensed a sudden change in demeanor and sent in armored vehicles from both directions to block the car, along with about 25 San Diego County sheriff's deputies.

"Something definitely changed," Pearlstein said. "We decided we had to take a proactive approach instead of letting it play out."

With television helicopters circling above, Perez got out of the black Toyota Camry's passenger door and walked backward to the bridge railing with one boy at his side, holding a phone to his ear while the other boy followed a few steps behind. Police shot him with a beanbag round, Perez threw an arm and a leg over the railing, and officers rushed in to take him into custody.

It was a stunning climax to an intense search for Perez, his wife Erica, 39, and their four sons, ages 6, 8, 9 and 11. The boys were physically unharmed and taken to the Highway Patrol office in El Cajon.

Montebello police at first declined to identify the woman, pending notification of kin, but later identified the victim as Perez's wife. Perez was already considered a person of interest in his wife's disappearance. Pearlstein said Perez declined to speak with authorities after he was taken into custody and turned over to Montebello authorities.

This combination photo released by the Montebello, Calif., Police Department shows the Perez family, who have been missing from their Montebello home since Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. Authorities are searching for Daniel and Erica Perez, a couple with a troubled and violent marriage, and their four sons, Jordan, 11, Jaiden, 9, Tristan, 8, and Alex, 6. A police statement said neither parent is returning phone messages and the father hasn't showed up for work for two days. Family members tell police the marriage was unstable and there's a history of domestic violence. Montebello is about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Montebello Police Department)

The hands of a child reach out of the window as police approach the stopped car of Daniel Diego Perez in Santee, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014 before the father of four tried to jump off the freeway bridge. The arrest of Perez, wanted in an Amber Alert for taking his children and the possible homicide of his wife, capped three days of intense search efforts. Investigators found a car belonging to Perez and his wife with the body of a dead woman in the trunk about a half-mile from their home. (AP Photo/U-T San Diego, John Gibbins)

In a tearful press conference Wednesday night, relatives begged for the children's return.

"You're breaking our heart," said Pamela Valdez, the children's aunt. "Please don't hurt the kids, please."

The Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert on Thursday stating the children were "taken by their biological father." A police anti-theft tracking device in El Cajon flagged the vehicle, triggering the pursuit shortly after 8 a.m.

"He wasn't completely reckless, but he wasn't stopping for red lights and sirens," Pearlstein said.

Two of the four boys ran from the vehicle when it stopped on the overpass. In a dramatic video that emerged Thursday, one of the children can be seen running to police officers:

The family had not been heard from since Friday, and neither adult had been answering their phones. Relatives told police, who were notified Tuesday.

Montebello Police Capt. Luis Lopez said Perez has a criminal history but couldn't detail previous charges. Family members told investigators the couple had a history of domestic violence, and Lopez confirmed that included incidents reported to police.

The boys were to return to Montebello on Thursday, Lopez said. They will be reunited with loved ones, and authorities will determine where they should be placed.