Los Angeles ? Police say a burglary suspect has been captured after holing up for hours in a storm drain under a busy freeway.

The standoff Tuesday snarled traffic on one of the city’s major commuter routes.

Deputy Police Chief Michel Moore told KCAL-TV the man stayed in the drain despite the use of tear gas and efforts to grab and pull him through a manhole alongside Interstate 405 in the San Fernando Valley.

The incident began with a report that someone was trying to steal copper wire in the area. Initially, all southbound lanes of the busy freeway were closed.

Moore says the drain is a hazard because it contains runoff from the freeway, including gas, anti-freeze, battery acid and “God knows what else.”

The name of the suspect was not immediately released.