( CNN ) -- A man who smashed a truck through the lobby of a Maryland TV news station and proclaimed himself God Tuesday was arrested hours later -- watching the ordeal unfold on the local news , authorities said . The unidentified 29-year-old man , described as mentally ill , was taken into custody without incident after his actions forced the lockdown and evacuation of WMAR and a nearby parochial school in Towson , near Baltimore , police said . Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson told reporters that SWAT team officers closed in on the suspect as he was `` watching different channels '' in a station editing room -- `` watching you report this story as this incident unfolded . '' Aware that the suspect was watching on TV , Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said , authorities decided against releasing any information publicly until after the incident . The official Twitter account of Baltimore County Public Safety said the first call from WMAR was received at 11:45 a.m . There was a report of a disturbance , with a man banging on the door trying to get in . Within minutes , authorities said , there was another call about a truck crashing into the station lobby . Police said the suspect had `` contact '' with a security guard before making his way to the second-floor editing room . `` The individual was ranting and raving incoherent statements , '' Johnson said . `` It was clear from the very beginning that we were dealing with an emotionally disturbed subject . '' Mike Marion , a commercial production producer at WMAR , told CNN that he was in his office when he heard a loud sound . `` I heard someone rattling the door in a violent manner and screaming started : 'Let me in , let me in , I 'm ( expletive ) God . You have to let me inâ€Ž , ' '' Marion said . `` I saw a young ... male in his 20s , no older than 30 , blue oxford shirt with a black sling backpack , get into a large racing green landscaping truck . He backed it out of [ the ] visitors ' space ... began ramming the building ... smashed through first section of atrium ... The last thing I saw , the truck was fully in the lobby . '' Marion said he never saw the suspect get out of the truck . The building was evacuated as officers searched for the suspect . No injuries were reported . All the while , WMAR journalists could relay information only via Twitter and the station 's website . By mid-afternoon , a makeshift newsroom had been set up about a mile north of the station -- but the reporters still had no way to broadcast . Police said the truck was stolen Tuesday from a subcontractor with the State Highway Administration . Inside the station , police found sheaths for machetes believed to have been used by workers in the highway truck . They also recovered a satchel with unknown contents . The suspect had a golf club but no firearms , police said . Johnson said tactical officers responded to an `` active shooter '' incident , moving slowly and cautiously to the second floor . `` We could view him watching TV , '' the chief said . A dog was used to subdue the suspect , who was taken for a psychiatric evaluation before facing criminal charges , police said . The motive was unknown . CNN 's Eric Fiegel contributed to this report .
Suspect in custody after slamming into the tower . Unidentified man was watching the ordeal on the local news when arrested . The truck used in the crash was reported stolen earlier Tuesday , police said . Maryland TV station evacuated after truck slams through tower .