A standoff between a gunman and police involving a hostage ended peacefully Sunday. A man had walked into a Yuba City, California sporting goods store and held an employee hostage at gunpoint for hours, said officials.
Police identified the subject as 29-year old Juan Carlos Alvarez. He eventually surrendered to authorities in what law enforcement believes was a robbery gone bad, inside the Big 5 store. Allyson Taylor, the hostage escaped the incident without being injured thanks to her quick thinking.
Police said the 18-year old started talking with Alvarez, which led to the incident ending peacefully. She apparently knew when to push him and when to back off. Members of the police department said everyone should be in awe of how Taylor handled the situation.
The standoff took place at about 11:00 am Sunday morning when Taylor was busy greeting customers and was the first person to encounter Alvarez. He took his gun out said Taylor and shot into the ceiling.
While frantic customers were screaming and leaving, the store manager stayed behind to call 911.
For four hours, Alvarez sat with Taylor and did not say what his intentions were. Taylor said she did the talking and tried to reason with him, as he wanted to see his daughter. Her tone and calls from negotiators from the police finally convinced the gunman to surrender at about 3 pm.
