23ABC has obtained new information following the June 2 hostage situation in Downtown Bakersfield. While many details remain under investigation, officials say all hostages have safely been reunited with their families.
“They [the clerks] had seen the man who came in from the corner where the desks are,” said witness Maria Escobar. “I saw that he had something crossed over himself here and something down here.”
67-year-old Maria Escobar says she didn’t really understand at first what was going on at Chase Bank. She says people began to run and she started to feel scared.
Then, Escobar says the suspect said something that confirmed everyone’s fears.
“People started leaving because they were afraid because the guy said that he was going to throw the bomb,” said Escobar.
Terrified, Escobar says she left everything behind and ran out of the building, scared the suspect would take her hostage. Fortunately, she was able to escape.
However, a total of 10 people became victims to the nearly 15-hour-long hostage situation.
An FBI spokesman confirmed all of the ten hostages were employees of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office, which is on the second floor of the Chase Bank building on Chester Avenue and 17th street.
Wednesday morning, KCSOS releasing a statement in response to the situation reading in part quote, “What unfolded was undoubtedly a terribly frightening and unsettling experience, and the composure our employees demonstrated throughout the 16-hour ordeal was extraordinary. KCSOS will continue to provide support and resources to impacted employees in the days and weeks ahead.”
Hostages were held against their will from 1 p.m. June 2 to about 4:30 a.m. June 3.
“At approximately 4 pm Harris released one of the five hostages, at approximately 8:30 pm he released a second hostage. And let me be clear, he tied up five of the hostages but there were 10 hostages in there,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento field office Sid Patel.
Patel says agents were able to make brief contact with a hostage who managed to keep their phone during the ordeal—a lifeline that allowed them to deliver much-needed insulin to the diabetic victim. The conversations were cut short when the phone’s battery died.
Investigators have yet to determine a motive, but authorities say it appears the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office was not an intentional target.
As this matter continues to be investigated, victim specialists have been made available to those who were involved in the situation.
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