WASHINGTON — A suspect is in custody after he climbed into the ceiling of a Prince George’s County movie theater to evade police.
A man climbed into the ceiling at a movie theater at the Beltway Plaza in Greenbelt, Maryland, after police witnessed him commit a burglary and tried to arrest him Tuesday afternoon.
The man was under surveillance because police said they believe he’s behind a number of recent burglaries, Prince George’s County police spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan tweeted. When police tried to catch him in the act, he ran into the mall and then the theater.
The suspect climbed scaffolding behind a movie screen and hid in the ceiling around 5 p.m. He was arrested around 6:30 p.m.
As he moves around, tiles are falling to the ground. A Greenbelt police negotiator climbed a ladder and negotiated with the suspect, Donelan said.
There were more than two dozen police officers inside the theater, and the fire department was on the scene.
Police declared a barricade situation during the incident.
Police have not released details about the man’s identity.
