El Segundo hostage rescued at popcorn company; suspect surrenders
A Popcornopolis employee who allegedly took the company’s CFO hostage Tuesday has surrendered, El Segundo police said.
The woman, whom police did not immediately identify, surrendered at 11:31 a.m., said Capt. Bob Turnbull. Police said she had taken the company’s chief financial officer hostage at gunpoint and told all the other company employees to leave the building. The incident took place at the company’s corporate headquarters.
The incident began about 8:15 a.m., when a female employee armed with a handgun walked into the company’s corporate offices and ordered all the employees out except for the chief financial officer, Turnbull said.
She locked herself and the CFO in an office within the building, police said. Negotiators spoke with her over the telephone and convinced her to let the CFO go. Soon after, authorities convinced her to give up as well.
The woman appeared to be wearing a pink shirt and denim shorts and was barefoot on video taken of her surrender.
Police closed off the area for about 250 yards in each direction. There were no reported injuries. Four or five employees were in the business at the time, Turnbull said.
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