Fremont PD said the suspect assaulted a woman during a robbery at a nearby apartment complex on Woodcreek Terrace around 10:30 a.m. before moving over to the construction site at Warm Springs Boulevard and Brown Road.
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"The suspect had gone to the top floor, he was by himself," Fremont PD Sgt. Ricardo Cortes told ABC7 News. "He had barricaded himself. We had time on our side."
Sergeant Cortes credits communication for the peaceful outcome.
Hours before the man surrendered, Sky7 captured him on the roof of the unfinished hotel Police said the man was armed with a large knife and torch and 50 construction workers had to be evacuated.
"The police were concerned that he may grab a construction vest if he found one, and put it on and blend in," Construction superintendent Gary Summerhays said.
Fremont Police launched drones as part of their investigation.
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During the nearly six-hour-long standoff, officers said the man threw tools and other objects from the roof.
Late in the afternoon, the suspect asked for food and cigarettes, which were provided by police to help de-escalate the situation. He was taken into custody around 5:30 p.m.
Back at the gated complex, one resident who asked to remain anonymous said the community is shaken.
"We thought gated community is more secure, but still it's happening," she said. "So all are actually concerned about this."
"We've always considered this a relatively safe neighborhood," said Fremont resident Ahmad Alqadhy. "To see something like this happening is out of the blue and I think it's a little bit frightening because there's lots of little kids here."
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Police spent much of the day in sporadic communication with the suspect, who at times appeared to be agitated. At one point, he was spotted throwing tools and gasoline cans off the roof of the building. Police also say he lit multiple rags on fire, but the fire department was on scene to respond.
"This neighborhood used to be a really nice place," said Fremont resident Jennifer Whealen. "It's kind of disturbing to see... yeah, very worrisome."
The victim in the home invasion robbery is expected to recover from her injuries.
The suspect will undergo a mental health evaluation before being booked on charges related to Friday's incident.