A robbery suspect believed to be armed with a knife remained in a Midway-area Subway shop following a botched holdup Thursday, leading to a standoff with SWAT officers.
Police posted on Twitter that officers took the man, a parolee, into custody at 5:10 p.m. following the two-hour long clash.
San Diego police received reports of the robbery at a shopping center in the 3100 block of Sports Arena Boulevard shortly before 3 p.m..
When officers arrived and told the suspect, identified as Benny Mora, 38, to get on the ground, he refused and grabbed a knife. He “told police to leave or he would cut the employee,” San Diego Police Department Officer Robert Heims wrote in an incident report.
The shop remained occupied by two employees, apparently being held against their will. About 3:30 p.m., the hostages exited the business unharmed.
“Mora called police from inside the store and told a negotiator that he wanted to commit suicide by cop,” San Diego Police Department Lt. Shawn Takeuchi said.
As the stalemate unfolded, a special weapons and tactics team arrived. Crisis negotiators were on scene too, according to an SDPD public-affairs officer.
Mora was arrested on suspicion of robbery, false imprisonment and parole violations, Takeuchi said.
Officers closed the 3100 block of Sports Arena. Traffic on Camino Del Rio West and Rosecrans Street had backed up as a result.
Police said the street would remain shut down for about an hour after the standoff ended.
– City News Service
Updated 5:25 p.m., 9:15 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. Jan. 14, 2021
