Bank robber takes hostages in Southern California holdup

ALHAMBRA, Calif. (AP) -- A bank robber took at least seven people hostage inside the building Tuesday, police said.

The area around the Cathay Bank was cordoned off and hostage negotiators tried to contact the gunman.

A silent alarm was triggered inside the bank at 9:25 a.m., police said.

An FBI special weapons and tactics team, as well as a SWAT team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, were assisting police.

Alhambra is 16 miles east of Los Angeles.

Cathay Bank, founded in 1962, was the first Chinese-American-owned bank established in Southern California.