(03/21/06) ELMWOOD PARK ? A police standoff near an Elmwood Park elementary school ended peacefully Tuesday after five tense hours of negotiations.

Police say 40-year-old Alan Modestino of Saddlebrook holed himself up in the Town House Motel and told officers he had a gun. According to authorities, Modestino fled to the hotel after a police officer attempted to pull him over. The Gantner Avenue Elementary School, located directly behind the motel, was locked down during the standoff. Garbage trucks were also brought in as a barricade to shield the facility from possible gunfire.

Negotiators were eventually able to calm Modestino down and talk him into surrendering. Modestino, who did not have a gun, says he ran because of an outstanding warrant. Charges against Modestino are pending.