Man Holds 3 Hostages at VA Hospital for 2 Hours
A 34-year-old man invaded Wadsworth Veterans Hospital in West Los Angeles Wednesday morning and took three women hostage for about two hours before releasing them unharmed and giving up, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
The assailant, identified as Billy R. Winston, thought to be from Memphis, forced three hospital employees into a ground floor office at knife point and indicated in a “convoluted statement” that drug dealers were trying to kill him, Agent Fred Reagan said.
After talking to FBI hostage negotiators, who were working out of the nearby federal building, Winston eventually agreed to release his captives and come out.
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