Fremont Home Invasion Robbery Suspect Taken Into Custody After Rooftop Standoff
FREMONT (CBS SF) -- A suspect in a violent home invasion robbery taunted Fremont police from the roof of a nearby building under construction Friday for hours before finally being taken into custody.
Fremont police said they received a 911 call Friday morning at around 10:20 a.m. reporting a violent home invasion robbery in progress inside a residence near Warm Springs Road and Brown Road.
A neighbor told police that they could hear screams coming from a nearby apartment.
Investigators said the male suspect was in the home for a while before a female resident arrived and confronted him. The man allegedly assaulted the woman and then fled with her property.
The woman was not seriously injured and police were able to obtain a description of the suspect who was spotted a short time later. Police were told he is a known man who frequents the area and may have also stolen some packages earlier in the morning.
As officers tried to arrest the suspect after spotting him at around 11:30 a.m., he ran into a five-story building currently under construction on Warm Springs Road. He made his way to the roof as police surrounded the building.
Helicopter video showed the man behaving erratically, exposing his buttocks and randomly using a paint spray gun and aerosol can to make marks and scribble words on the roof. He also tossed items off the building at officers, including a fire extinguisher and hammers, but no one has been injured. He is the only person in the building.
Police asked media outlets to back their helicopters away as the noise was making it challenging to communicate with the suspect.
At around 4 p.m., Fremont Police tweeted that the scene remains relatively calm, but that are residents and commuters should plan on avoiding the area for the next few hours.
The closure due to the standoff was having an impact on area residents and businesses alike.
"It's a really big mess over here in Fremont. I'm stuck here and cannot go to work," Bang Thien told KPIX 5.
"He's playing hide and seek, hide and seek - officers have been talking to him with a megaphone and everything," said an area business owner named Bill.
Onlookers watched as the suspect came to the edge of the roof multiple times and was throwing fire extinguishers and other items to the ground below.
"And trying to light it on fire! Looks like some crazy guy," said Bill. "I don't know what is he doing up there but he's throwing all this stuff -- stones and broomsticks and hammers and everything'
Business owners near the busy Mission Boulevard corridor said their customers couldn't make it past the road blocks.
"Today it's Friday. We expect a lot of people, but they're calling into the store asking how to get in," said Faizel Amin of Coconut Hill Indian Grocery.
Fire department personnel and medics were also at the scene. Fremont police tweeted that the man told officers he would comply and was in custody at around 5:30 p.m. He surrendered peacefully and no use of force was necessary.
Fremont police later noted in a tweet that the suspect was armed when officers confronted him.
"We are proud of how our officers handled today's incident. Rooftop negotiators found the man armed with a large knife and torch," the tweet read. "Training and ongoing scenario based practice is critical in how we resolve these complex situations."
The duration of the incident was approximately five hours.
So far there was no word from authorities regarding what charges the suspect could be facing for the alleged home invasion robbery and subsequent standoff.
