California bank hostages safe after overnight standoff

Authorities reported Wednesday that all ten people taken hostage inside a central California bank on Tuesday afternoon had been safely released. A man who entered the bank with explosives was neutralized early Wednesday morning by an FBI hostage rescue team, officials said. They described the law enforcement investigation as active and ongoing, noting that the bomber's motive remained unclear.

How did the situation unfold overnight? Local police initially responded to a Chase Bank in Bakersfield, Calif., around 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday after a man entered the bank with a bomb. The suspect barricaded himself on the second floor with ten hostages, five of whom were tied up, Assistant Bakersfield Police Chief Jeremy Blakemore said. The suspect strapped explosives attached to himself and several hostages, the police chief added.

One hostage, a diabetic woman who needed medicine, communicated with officers outside until her phone died, according to Sid Patel, special agent in charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. Police and the FBI negotiated the release of two hostages throughout the afternoon, in exchange for food and water.

The FBI took over the situation by 9 p.m. local time after negotiations stalled with eight hostages remaining inside the building. The FBI’s hostage rescue team flew out from Quantico, Va., and neutralized the suspect around 4:30 a.m. local time, Sid Patel said. Bakersfield Police released a Wednesday morning statement that the suspected bomber was pronounced dead at the scene after a shooting involving FBI personnel. 

What is known about the suspected bomber? Sid Patel identified the bomber as Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, who they characterized as a registered sex offender with a sizable criminal record. The deceased suspect served in the Army for about a year before receiving a dishonorable discharge for going AWOL, Patel said. The 41-year-old’s criminal record included using weapons to commit violent offenses and committing sex acts with a minor under the age of 14, the FBI official added.