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Passersby tackle bank robber
Alert taxi driver refuses ride to man with bag of stolen money
By Patrick Flanigan
Democrat and Chronicle
(March 6, 2003) — Two alert passersby and a stubborn taxi driver foiled a bank robbery on Lyell Avenue Thursday morning.
Police Sgt. Carlos Garcia said one man was taken into custody shortly after the robbery at the HSBC bank at 70 Lyell Avenue.
Garcia said a man walked into the bank shortly after 10 a.m. and presented the teller with a note saying he had a bag with a bomb in it and demanding cash.
The man ran out of the bank towards the parking lot when a dye-pack exploded in the bag. The man attempted to get into a taxi in the parking lot, but the driver who saw something was amiss ordered him out of the car.
At that point two witnesses realized what was happening and tackled the robber. They held him on the ground until police arrived.
Garcia said police do not encourage civilians to attempt to interfere with potentially armed suspects. Nevertheless he commended the two witnesses for their work.
One of the witnesses, Carl Lenhart, 46, said he was going to the bank to get money to pay his bills when he saw the robber trying to get into the taxi.
Lenhart said he saw the dye pack go off and realized it must have been a bank robbery, so he tackled the man.
“This is my home bank,†he said. “The manager here treats us very well.â€
Police had not yet released the name of the suspect.
Alert taxi driver refuses ride to man with bag of stolen money
By Patrick Flanigan
Democrat and Chronicle
(March 6, 2003) — Two alert passersby and a stubborn taxi driver foiled a bank robbery on Lyell Avenue Thursday morning.
Police Sgt. Carlos Garcia said one man was taken into custody shortly after the robbery at the HSBC bank at 70 Lyell Avenue.
Garcia said a man walked into the bank shortly after 10 a.m. and presented the teller with a note saying he had a bag with a bomb in it and demanding cash.
The man ran out of the bank towards the parking lot when a dye-pack exploded in the bag. The man attempted to get into a taxi in the parking lot, but the driver who saw something was amiss ordered him out of the car.
At that point two witnesses realized what was happening and tackled the robber. They held him on the ground until police arrived.
Garcia said police do not encourage civilians to attempt to interfere with potentially armed suspects. Nevertheless he commended the two witnesses for their work.
One of the witnesses, Carl Lenhart, 46, said he was going to the bank to get money to pay his bills when he saw the robber trying to get into the taxi.
Lenhart said he saw the dye pack go off and realized it must have been a bank robbery, so he tackled the man.
“This is my home bank,†he said. “The manager here treats us very well.â€
Police had not yet released the name of the suspect.
