Authorities say a man barricaded himself inside a Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, California, with several community members present, after a bomb threat call sparked a police response and widespread lockdowns.
Bakersfield, California (AP) — A man barricaded himself inside a downtown Chase Bank with multiple hostages Tuesday afternoon, triggering a large-scale police response and evacuations. Authorities said one hostage was released, and the remaining individuals are reported in good health.
Scammers are weaponizing AI tools like voice cloning, deepfakes, and phishing texts to defraud Arizona residents out of millions. One local woman recounts how her mother narrowly avoided a fake Chase alert. In response, Chase Bank and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office are hosting community workshops, urging consumers to stay vigilant and never share personal info with unknown callers.
The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, was shot dead by FBI agents early Wednesday after a prolonged hostage crisis at a downtown Chase bank branch. All 10 hostages were rescued unharmed.
JPMorgan, Bank of America and other Wall Street giants have held preliminary talks to acquire a Fiserv debit-card network, a move that could exempt them from the Durbin Amendment's interchange fee limits and reshape the payments landscape.
