ESCONDIDO — A 77-year-old man who allegedly robbed an Escondido bank on Thursday was arrested a short time later during a traffic stop near the scene of the crime.
A masked man handed a demand note to a teller at the US Bank branch office in the 2300 block of East Valley Parkway shortly after 10:30 a.m. on June 4, according to the Escondido Police Department.
The robber’s message stated that he had a gun, though no witnesses saw one, Sgt. Robert Craig said.
After the clerk handed over about $1,000 in cash, the bandit left the bank and drove off in a black Toyota Prius, police said.
At about 11 a.m., a patrol officer spotted the car in the area of Rose Street and Valley Parkway, roughly a mile west of the bank, and pulled it over. After witnesses to the robbery identified the driver, Gary Smyers of Escondido, as the alleged perpetrator, officers arrested him.
Officers found the stolen money, the demand note and a mask inside the suspect’s vehicle, according to police.
