Man who claimed to have bomb at shopping center taken into custody after hourslong standoff

A man who claimed to have a bomb was taken into custody without incident Saturday evening at a Colton shopping center after an hourslong standoff with police, authorities said.

Shortly before 4 p.m., Colton Police Department officers and members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad responded to Plaza Las Glorias near the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Olive Street.

A photo tweeted by police Lt. Jim Jolliff showed the suspect kneeling on a sidewalk with his arms spread apart. Just after 6 p.m., another tweet from the lieutenant said negotiations were in progress.

Mount Vernon Avenue was closed between Colton Avenue and Olive Street as the standoff continued.

News video from the scene shows a remote-controlled police robot approaching the man as he holds an object in his left hand.

At 9 p.m., police announced the man was in custody while the bomb squad continued to clear the scene. Whether he was in fact in possession of an explosive device was unclear.

No injuries were reported.