Venezuelan bank standoff ends with arrests

Venezuelan police arrested four bank robbers who were involved in a tense standoff for over 24 hours. After botching an attempted robbery in the city of Altagracia de Orituco, the would-be thieves panicked and held approximately 30 people against their will. They were able to negotiate a deal where they would leave with five hostages in an ambulance, yet police were able to soon capture the robbers.

Thankfully all of the hostages were freed safe and sound though things got dicey at times during the standoff:

One of the hostages, Carlos Gil, said things got tense inside the bank when the robbers shot at a bank guard.

Gil added that the hostages inside the bank were given little food to eat.

"They decided they would not worry about us, that a little morsel was enough," Gil told AFP.

Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin said the critical moment was when one of the robbers was infuriated at seeing his mother together with the minister just outside the bank, and fired his gun.

Sources (English)- Associated Press, Bloomberg, AFP

Sources (Spanish)- El Universal (“Hostages inside the bank…hold posters asking for food and help”)

Image- Al Jazeera