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Brazil hostage crisis ends with arrest

Jac Souza dos Santos was identified as the hostage taker during a seven hour standoff at the Saint Peter hotel in Brasilia on Monday.

By JC Finley
Brazilian police are continuing to investigate a hostage taking incident at the Saint Peter hotel in Brasilia on September 29, 2014. (UPI Photo/Heinz Ruckemann)
Brazilian police are continuing to investigate a hostage taking incident at the Saint Peter hotel in Brasilia on September 29, 2014. (UPI Photo/Heinz Ruckemann) | License Photo

BRASILIA, Brazil, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- A seven hour standoff with police at the Saint Peter hotel in Brasilia ended Monday after the hostage taker surrendered.

It is unclear why the hostage taker, who was calling for political reforms, surrendered.

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Jac Souza dos Santos checked into the hotel on Monday and, armed with what turned out to be a fake gun, took an unidentified male hotel employee hostage and forced him to wear a vest attached with possible explosives.

Dos Santos then went door-to-door on the 13th floor of the hotel, displayed his hostage to guests and told them to leave. Throughout the incident, dos Santos walked the hostage along the balcony, in sight of news cameras.

Seven hours after the hostage situation began, dos Santos emerged on the balcony one final time with the hostage, and surrendered.

The vest had been left in a hotel room and police were investigating the material to determine whether it contained explosives.

Police said that dos Santos' political demands included enforcing anti-corruption laws that prohibit convicted politicians from running for electoral office again and the extradition of political refugee Cesare Battisti to Italy.

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