Hostage situation unfolds in California as bank robber with 'bomb' strapped to chest makes threats

Published: 23:01, 2 June 2026 | Updated: 23:26, 2 June 2026 A bank robber who is believed to have a bomb strapped to his chest is holding at least one hostage in California. Police said the unidentified male suspect has been making bomb threats as he holds the hostage at the Chase Bank on 17th Street and Chester in Bakersfield, KBFX reports.  Roughly a dozen police vehicles were spotted responding to the scene Tuesday evening, as well as at least one tactical vehicle, according to KGET. Officers are now actively negotiating with the bank robber. But in the meantime, evacuations are underway and streets in the nearby area are closed. City Hall and police headquarters are also locked down, and the Hall of Records has been evacuated. City officials said the public will not be able to access the city properties at this time. A man believed to have a bomb strapped to his chest is holding at least one hostage at a Chase Bank in Bakersfield, California This is a breaking news story and will be updated.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.