Armed man who forced closure of I-15 in both directions arrested

Reports of an armed man on an Interstate 15 overpass closed the freeway in both directions in the central Las Vegas corridor for hours early Wednesday, causing massive traffic delays.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada said at 5:53 a.m. the north and southbound lanes were closed at Lake Mead Boulevard. The Nevada Highway Patrol said the closure was due to police activity.

North Las Vegas police spokesman Alexander Cuevas later confirmed the closure was caused by an individual armed with two knives who was on top of an overpass overlooking the interstate. Cuevas said at 8 a.m. that the man had been taken into custody and the interstate reopened.

Traffic backups were reported throughout the area, and there were also delays reported as a result on U.S. Highway 95.

Police later identified the man as Ivan Alonzo, 34, of Texas. Alonzo was taken to a local hospital for a medical examination then booked at the North Las Vegas Detention Center on charges of assault with deadly weapon against a protected person. No officers involved were injured.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.