A man suspected of being under the influence of drugs was arrested Friday after he broke into a room at a Southern California retirement facility and held an elderly resident and a nurse hostage at knifepoint, officials confirmed.
Brian Phillips, 30, was arrested at Fredericka Manor Retirement Community in San Diego’s Chula Vista area at around 7 p.m.
The Chula Vista Police Department said dispatchers received a phone call from Phillips at around 6:40 p.m. saying he had broken into a room at the facility and was holding hostages at knifepoint.
When police arrived on scene, they confirmed an elderly resident and a nurse were, in fact, being held hostage by Phillips inside an apartment at the retirement facility.
SWAT and crisis negotiation officials were called in for backup. Before SWAT crews arrived, Phillips came out of the apartment and was arrested by police.
Police said the hostages were found shaken up but otherwise unharmed inside a bathroom.
Phillips was booked into San Diego County Jail on seven charges, including robbery, using a person as a shield and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The Chula Vista Police Department said Phillips was on parole at the time of the break-in and has prior arrests for drug violations. He had no relationship to the hostages or a reason to be at Fredericka Manor, police said.
Phillips was suspected of being under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. He's scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
This is the second time Fredericka Manor has been in the news this week. A recent norovirus outbreak at the retirement facility infected dozens of residents and nearly a dozen staff members.
