A British man was arrested after police say he walked into a Santa Barbara bank, announced that he had a bomb in a bag he was carrying, and then sat down on the floor.
Employees called 9-1-1, and evacuated the bank. Santa Barbara Police officers convinced the 35-year-old man to surrender after a brief negotiation. As a precaution, the Santa Barbara County Bomb Squad was called to the scene to investigate the man’s bag. The man wasn’t actually carrying an explosive device.
Police identified him as Stephen Samuel Paradise, of Bristol, England. He was arrested on charges of making felony false bomb threats, and felony terrorist threats.
The British consulate was notified of the man’s arrest.
