Fremont Police Standoff Ends Safely

FREMONT, CA — A man who spent hours barricaded on the roof of a building under construction in Fremont has surrendered to police. He will undergo a mental evaluation and then will be booked into jail on charges related to the standoff and an earlier home invasion robbery, according to Fremont Police.

The man was not armed with a gun, but during the standoff he had access to construction materials and threw a fire extinguisher, gas cans and hammers at police officers. No injuries to officers were reported. He also lit a rag on fire, which was quickly doused by the fire department.

The building is at Warm Springs Boulevard and Brown Road. Warm Springs Boulevard was closed between Mission Boulevard and Corporate in both directions because of the standoff.

Earlier, a woman was physically assaulted during the home invasion robbery, which happened in the 300 block of Woodcreek Terrace. "She’s okay and did not require medical treatment, but she’s shaken," Fremont Police said on Twitter.

Police say the man entered the home through a window, and the woman inside did not initially realize he was there. But, police said via Nixle, "After approximately 10 minutes, the woman went to investigate noises and was confronted by the suspect in her home. He physically assaulted her and then fled the home with some of her belongings."

The woman screamed, and several callers gave police information that helped their search for the man. After he was spotted entering the building, workers on the job site were safely evacuated.

Police flew a drone over the building, keeping officers on the ground apprised of the man's movements.

The Fremont Fire Department is assisting in the operation. Police reported on Twitter, "We can now confirm he just lit a rag on fire. @FremontFire is now using water to try and neutralize any accelerants on the rooftop from gasoline that may have been poured earlier. We are attempting to prevent a fire and damage. He continues to communicate with us."

Darkness fell before the man finally surrendered.

Following the safe resolution of the standoff, the Fremont Police Department Tweeted, "We are proud of how our officers handled today’s incident. Rooftop negotiators found the man armed with a large knife and torch. Training and ongoing scenario based practice is critical in how we resolve these complex situations."

Timeline: The call about the home invasion robbery came in at 10:20 a.m. Friday. A detective spotted the man at the construction site at 11:30. Police announced to the public that Warm Springs Boulevard was closed and people should avoid the area at 2:30 p.m. The man began actively speaking with negotiators at 2:53 p.m. Police report that the man lit a rag on fire at 3:40 p.m. Police report at 4:05 p.m. the Fremont Fire Department has launched a drone, putting two drones over the scene. Around 5:30 p.m. the suspect surrendered.