Hostage Taker Lets His Captives Go After Police Meet His Only Demand: Pizza and Sprite

Police in the Russian city of Astrakhan spent several hours in intense negotiations with a hostage taker who claimed to have a gun and a box full of explosives.

The unidentified man, said to a 25-year-old resident of Astrakhan, entered a classroom at a local college this morning and released everyone inside save for two students, two teachers, and a security guard. One of the teachers was released during the standoff for unspecified reasons.

Negotiators who arrived at the scene were surprised to learn that the man only wanted two things in exchange for the captive's guaranteed safety: Pizza and a bottle of Sprite.

After the food items were delivered to him, the man released all of the hostages unharmed and was subsequently arrested.

It was later determined that the man's "pistol" was just a toy gun, and the "box of explosives" contained a dummy.

The suspect's girlfriend, a student at the school where the incident took place, was also arrested. Police believe she may have been an accomplice to the crime.

[H/T: Geekosystem, image via GA Fire Gear]