Suspect Caught Hiding in Maryland Movie Theater Ceiling

A man suspected of burglary is in custody after a tense search through the innards of a movie theater in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Sherrod Weaver, 26, was arrested Tuesday after he hid for three hours inside the AMC Academy 8 theater in Greenbelt.

He hid behind the movie screen and climbed scaffolding to get into the ceiling, sending tiles raining down into the empty theater, Prince George's County police said. 

Shortly before 6:30 p.m., spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan tweeted the suspect was "safely out of the ceiling ... and in custody."

Earlier, police sent a hostage negotiator on a ladder into the ceiling to negotiate with him, according to Donelan's tweets.

Police had also searched for him in the building's ductwork. "As he moves around, tiles fall to the ground," Donelan tweeted.

More than two dozen police officers were inside the theater, she said. The fire department also helped with the search.

Police said in an update Wednesday that Weaver was recorded breaking into a home in Laurel. Police say he broke in, stole several items and drove away. Officers followed the Greenbelt man, and he threw a "large, stolen TV" at an officer, knocking the officer to the ground. 

The officer was sent to a hospital with minor injuries, and Weaver ran into the theater on Greenbelt Road. The theater was evacuated as the long search for Weaver was underway. 

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Finally, after three hours, he surrendered to the officers. 

Weaver faces 12 charges, including for burglary, assault on an officer and destruction of property. He is being held on $100,000 bond.

At the time of his arrest, he had two open warrants for violation of probation related to previous burglary convictions, police said. 

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