Bank robber still at large

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call Thursday, December 9, at approximately 3:30 p.m., informing them that the Chase bank, located at 1091 S. Mission Road in Fallbrook, had just been robbed.

“Our deputies responded to the bank and surrounding area,” said Lt. Mike Barnett, commander of the Fallbrook Sheriff’s substation. Bank employees said the suspect, who presented a demand note to a teller, fled the scene on foot after the robbery.

“The suspect fled into the parking lot and then behind the Albertsons building,” said Barnett. Within minutes the Sheriff’s department had launched its ASTREA helicopter to conduct a search by air for the suspect.

“Dispatchers relayed a description of the suspect to the deputies and they did spot a person matching that description,” said Barnett. Deputies did detain a suspect and called bank employees to the area where he was being held for identification purposes.

“The bank employees said it wasn’t the right person,” said Barnett.

Barnett said that although the suspect is still at large, his department has “several promising leads” and the man is thought to have been acting alone.

The bank robber is described as a white male between 25 and 30 years of age, 5’ 10” tall, 180 pounds, with short blonde hair and brown eyes.

Barnett said the robber did not show a weapon during the robbery and there were no injuries sustained.

“No one was hurt,” confirmed Barnett.

Fallbrook detectives are working with the FBI on the case.

Barnett said historically incidences like this are not unusual (throughout the county) during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

“This time of year has a higher incident of these crimes in general,” he said, adding that residents should take precautions when making visits to banks during the holiday season.

“People should always be aware of their surroundings, particularly if they are withdrawing cash from an ATM machine, at a bank, or at any business,” said Barnett.

“If <a citizen> sees someone standing behind them that makes them suspicious or nervous they should press the cancel button on the machine and walk away.”

Barnett said if a citizen is inside a bank and believes a robbery is taking place, “it is best that the citizen not try to intervene, because it is not known if there are any co-conspirators nearby.”

“That can be a very dangerous situation and we don’t want anyone to get hurt,” said Barnett.

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