Man with handgun demands money from tellers at Bank of
America
By Rachelle Gines Staff Writer
Gilroy – Police are searching for a man who jumped over a counter with a handgun and demanded that tellers at a bank on Monterey Street give him money.
At 2:01pm Saturday afternoon, police received a call that the suspect entered Bank of America, at 7825 Monterey St. No shots were fired and no one was hurt.
Witness said the man wore sunglasses and a bandanna that covered his face. They also reported that he had dark colored hands, wore a blue, long-sleeve shirt, a gray sweatshirt with black lettering and dark-blue sweatpants with white stripes down the side.
According to the number of witness reports filed, Cpl. Justin Matsuhara of the Gilroy Police Department said there were at least 13 people in the building. He said the description of the suspect is unclear due to differences among witness reports.
“There are huge discrepancies among the witnesses of what the suspect looked like. One person said he was 5 feet, 5 (inches tall) at 140 pounds, and someone else said he was 5 feet 7 (inches tall) at 170 pounds,” Matsuhara said.
After taking the money, the suspect fled the bank in a Ford Thunderbird reported stolen last Wednesday from the area of Westwood Drive. He crashed the Thunderbird into a parked vehicle in front of nearby 7635 Monterey St., then ran on foot into a beige car and drove away, police said.
“We have reason to believe the beige-colored vehicle belonged to the suspect, because so far, no one has reported the vehicle stolen,” Matsuhara said. He added the Thunderbird had been returned to its owner, a Gilroy resident.
A small amount of $100 bills marked with dark ink from a security device were recovered in the bank’s parking lot. Money was also found in and around the abandoned Thunderbird as well, police said.
Authorities were not able to determine how much money was stolen. Bank of America officials would not comment on the case because it is under investigation.
The case has been turned over to detectives, who are reviewing surveillance tapes.
At this point, Matsuhara said this robbery is unrelated to a bank robbery at South Valley National Bank that occurred in late May.
Anyone with more information may call the Gilroy Police Investigations Bureau at 408-842-5656.
Suspect Description
– Ranged in height from 5 feet, 5 inches and 140 pounds to 5 feet, 7 inches and 170 pounds.
– Wore sunglasses and a bandanna covered his face.
– Witnesses reported he had dark colored hands, wore a blue, long-sleeve shirt, a gray sweatshirt with black lettering and dark-blue sweatpants with white stripes down the side.
Rachelle Gines is an intern who attends San Francisco State University. Reach her at 847-7158, or at rg****@************ch.com.
