LAYTON -- A Clearfield man armed with a knife was arrested Wednesday after threatening to take hostages in a Layton cellphone store.
Jeremy Youngberg, 26, called Layton dispatchers at 3:53 p.m. and told them he had a knife and was going to take hostages at the store, said Layton Police Sgt. Jeff Roderick. Youngberg called dispatchers from outside the store, where he used to work.
Police rushed to the scene at 515 W. Ring Road. Youngberg was already inside, Roderick said.
The officers went into the store to arrest him and evacuated everyone else. At least five or six customers and employees also had been in the store with Youngberg, Roderick said.
"He hadn't done anything yet," Roderick said. Because of the quick response, it appears the officers were able to prevent a more dangerous situation, he said.
Police found a razor blade-type knife on Youngberg. They also learned that, once inside, he had told one of the employees that he was planning to take hostages, Roderick said.
Youngberg complied with the officers' orders and was arrested.
He was booked into Davis County Jail later Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of making a terroristic threat and carrying a concealed dangerous weapon. Both crimes are class-B misdemeanors.
If convicted, he could serve up to six months in jail on each charge and pay a fine of up to $1,000.
Youngberg had made a previous report to the Layton Police Department in which he was upset about something, but that report is still under investigation, so Roderick declined to comment further.
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