San Jose Hostage Taker Is Identified

SAN JOSE - An armed man who surrendered after barricading himself at a home in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood for about six hours Thursday has been identified as 34-year-old Thomas Chalmes, police said.

Chalmes, a San Jose resident, will be booked into Santa Clara County Jail on multiple alleged crimes, according to police. The man kept his 3-year-old daughter inside the residence for part of the day, police said.

Also on Patch: Barricade Situation In San Jose's Willow Glen Area

Police responded to a 911 call from the girl's mother at about 10 a.m. saying her 3-year-old daughter's father had come into her home in the 1700 block of Jonathan Avenue near Pine Avenue with a gun and taken the child hostage.

Police responded with a SWAT team and surrounded the home. Attempts to make contact with the man were unsuccessful.

The girl was later released, but the suspect remained armed and barricaded in the home, police said on Twitter at 12:20 p.m.

The man then surrendered and was taken into custody, police tweeted at 4:05 p.m.

San Jose Unified School District officials decided to have Hammer Montessori and Galarza Elementary School shelter in place at 11:45 a.m., Assistant Superintendent Jason Willis said.

Both schools serve children in kindergarten through fifth grade and share the same campus located at 1610 Bird Ave., Willis said.

Students were scheduled for dismissal at 1 p.m. under a minimum day schedule and parents were instructed on where to pick up their children, according to Willis.

Police blocked off Pine Avenue between Bird and Ellen avenues and Jonathan Avenue between Pine and Byerley avenues.

-Bay City News