Crazed attacker held at bay by crucifix-carrying mother

Wielding an ice pick, a young man held a nine-year-old hostage in an event that easily could have turned tragic in Quezon City, Philippines early on Saturday morning. Reimer Parparan, 24, held the ice pick to Mark Jason Pineda's throat as a woman calmly approached the scene holding a crucifix to the aggressor.

The woman is believed to be Mark's mother. The Quezon City Police Department exercised diplomacy to recover the child. The hostage negotiator chose to wait and wear down the assailant rather than enact a tactical manoeuvre.



The suspect "appeared to be suffering from a mental breakdown and has no clear demands for his brash actions," reported the Quezon City Police District. The assailant requested drinking water, which allowed police an opportunity to negotiate.

The standoff ended at around 7:30 a.m., about eight and a half hours after Parparan initially kidnapped the child. Mark had two small cuts on his neck from the ice pick but was otherwise unscathed. "Rational diplomatic approach was the weapon of choice," according to QCPD chief, Gen. Dela Vega.