No Bullets in Takoma Park Gunman's Weapon

The handgun wielded by a slain bank robbery and hostage suspect in Takoma Park, Md., last week was not loaded, police told NBC Washington.

The suspect, 43-year-old Carlos Rudolfo Espinoza Arcia, of Hyattsville, was shot dead by police as he tried to leave the scene of the robbery with a hostage as a human shield, police said.

Espinoza Arcia took a female bank employee hostage during the robbery Friday morning. After a dye pack exploded, he stepped in some snow and ice, allowing the hostage to get away.

Espinoza Arcia chased her with his gun drawn, and three Takoma Park officers and three Prince George's County officers opened fire, killing him, police said.

One officer was grazed by a ricocheting bullet and the hostage's arm was scraped. Both were treated at area hospitals and released. A bank customer who was pistol-whipped when he tried to stop Espinoza Arcia remained hospitalized Sunday.

Contact Us