Bakersfield bomb threat latest: Chase bank hostage crisis continues for hours with no suspect named

A man allegedly strapped a bomb to his body and barricaded himself inside a California bank Tuesday afternoon with an unknown number of hostages.

The situation in the Southern California city of Bakersfield has been unfolding since about 1 p.m.

Police there said that “several community members” were inside a Chase Bank building on Chester Avenue and 17th Street and that crisis negotiators were working to bring the crisis to an end peacefully.

At least one person who had been held inside the bank building was freed, police told reporters.

“With the cooperation of our Crisis Negotiation Team and the assistance of the FBI negotiations team, we were able to negotiate the safe surrender of one of the hostages,” Police Sgt. Eric Celedon said from the scene.

Celedon added that all of the remaining hostages inside the bank were “in good health.”

Officials have not publicly named a suspect.

The Department of Homeland Security is also reportedly assisting local police.Suspect contained inside the bank with 'a number of community members', police say

The suspect behind a bomb threat at a Chase Bank branch in downtown Bakersfield remains contained inside the building with “a number of community members”, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.

Sgt. Eric Celedon said the suspect is refusing to allow the individuals to leave a room inside the bank, but added that all those inside are safe.

(AP)

Authorities continue to treat the bomb threat as active.

No injuries had been reported as of 4:30 p.m.Officers, including members of the department's Crisis Negotiation Team, remain in contact with the suspect by telephone.

No arrests have been made.

Celedon said the suspect had not made any demands.

Shweta Sharma3 June 2026 04:01In depth: Man barricades himself inside Southern California bank with hostages

A man barricaded himself inside a bank building in Bakersfield, California, with an unknown number of people on Tuesday, police said.

Officers responded to a report of a bomb threat at around 1 p.m. at a Chase Bank in downtown Bakersfield, where they found that a man had locked himself inside the building with “several community members,” according to the Bakersfield Police Department.

Some of those inside were able to escape, officials said. No injuries have been reported, and nearby buildings, including city hall and police headquarters, were placed on lockdown.

Police said the department’s crisis negotiation team is in contact with the suspect by telephone.

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 04:00Homeland Security joins agencies on scene of Chase hostage situation

(AP)

Federal officials have joined local police in responding to the ongoing hostage situation inside a Chase bank building in Bakersfield.

The FBI is on the scene, and local station KGET reports that the Department of Homeland Security has also joined the effort.

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 03:40Bakersfield crisis comes as Californians head to the polls

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The ongoing hostage situation in Bakersfield comes as California voters finish heading to the polls.

Citizens across the state are casting their ballots today in primary elections.

The Bakersfield crisis could impact turnout, as it has prompted evacuations and lockdowns of city buildings.

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 03:20Police throwing 'every single resource' at hostage threat

(AP)

Police say they are using every tool possible to tackle the ongoing hostage situation at a Bakersfield bank.

“We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring it to the safest resolution possible,” Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon said in an update late Tuesday, “from the SWAT team, bomb squad, crisis negotiators, our drone team, K9 unit as well as our federal partners.”

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 02:57Police provide update on hostage crisis, though few details are known

Bakersfield police have just shared an update regarding the ongoing hostage situation inside a local bank building, but details remain scant about the crisis.

Officers got a report of a bomb around 1 p.m., the department said in a press release.

“During the investigation, it was determined that an adult male subject had barricaded himself inside the building with several community members,” the department wrote. “No injuries have been reported.”

“Officers responded to the scene and established a perimeter around the building and surrounding businesses to ensure public safety,” the statement continued. “Some community members were able to evacuate.”

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 02:48Bystander describes scene at Chase standoff

Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as Dad’s Gone Live, was about block from the Chase Bank as Tuesday’s hostage situation began to unfold.

He said he was alerted to the crisis when subscribers began calling him.

“I went into the bank’s parking garage and watched the cops enter the back of the bank. This is the biggest police presence I’ve ever seen in this town,” Davidson told NBC Los Angeles. “Now I’m watching them set up the trauma tents with the green, red and yellow tags, and black tags too, along with a command center about a block away.”

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 02:45PHOTOS: Police respond to hostage crisis in Bakersfield

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(AP)

(AP)

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 02:31Second cluster of police spotted in city near Bakersfield

As police surround a Chase Bank building in Bakersfield, a second cluster of officers was reportedly seen outside a home in nearby Oildale.

The group included officers and the Kern County bomb squad, Bakersfield Now reports.

It is unclear whether this deployment is related to the ongoing bomb threat and hostage situation in Bakersfield.

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 02:21FBI is assisting in response to Bakersfield crisis

Federal agents are joining local police in Bakersfield to respond to the ongoing hostage situation.

“FBI Sacramento is aware of the crisis in progress near the corner of 17th Street and Chester Ave. in Bakersfield, California, and are sending resources to assist @BakersfieldPD,” the bureau wrote on X. “Please avoid the area.”

Josh Marcus3 June 2026 02:16