Parent who took California teacher hostage taken into custody

Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Police in California ended an hours-long standoff by swarming a classroom where a parent held a teacher hostage on Tuesday.

The man who barricaded himself and a teacher inside a classroom at Castle View Elementary School in Riverside at about 11:15 a.m. PDT, was taken from the scene on a stretcher at abut 6 p.m. PDT.

Police had said the man, who has not been identified, was "not responding to our commands for him to come out" as hostage negotiators attempted to coax him out.

The hostage, 70-year-old first grade teacher Linda Montgomery, was taken to a hospital for a precautionary evaluation

During the standoff Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback said smoke was seen coming from the classroom, but it didn't appear to be toxic.

When the man entered the campus he got into a confrontation with a male teacher who tried to make him sign in at the office.

The parent punched the male teacher who was seen with a bloody nose and was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment.

Riverside Unified School District Spokesman Justin Grayson said front office staff "followed procedure to the T and we're proud of them for what they did."

The incident occurred during lunch hour when students were not in their classrooms and no injuries to students were reported.

All 670 students were accounted for as police evacuated them from the campus and began releasing them to their parents at 1 p.m.