2 arrested for allegedly robbing, shooting at elderly woman at Riverside bank
Police in Riverside arrested two teens for allegedly robbing an elderly woman at gunpoint as she tried to make a large deposit at a bank ATM.
The armed robbery happened on Monday around 1:20 p.m. at a Bank of America branch located on the 300 block of East Alessandro Boulevard in the Mission Grove neighborhood.
Police say the elderly woman pulled up to the bank in her car and was immediately approached by two men as she got out of the vehicle.
Both men were armed with firearms, police said, which they pointed at her during the robbery. A struggle ensued between the woman and her attackers, which ended after one of the men fired his gun.
The men then took the cash and fled in a silver Kia sedan.
The woman was not hit but was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation, police said.
Witnesses provided detailed descriptions of both the suspects and their vehicle to police dispatchers, which led to officers locating the fleeing vehicle on the southbound side of the 215 Freeway.
A pursuit began that extended from Riverside to Moreno Valley, where the suspects ditched the vehicle and fled into an apartment complex on the 24000 block of Cottonwood Avenue.
The two barricaded themselves inside an apartment, leading to a standoff with law enforcement. After about 90 minutes, they surrendered.
One of the suspects was identified as 18-year-old Master Snell. The other is a 17-year-old boy whose name is being withheld because he is a minor.
Both teens are known gang members in Moreno Valley, authorities said.
Detectives eventually searched the apartment and recovered evidence linking the two to the armed robbery, including two handguns that are believed to have been used in the stickup.
Snell was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside where he awaits charges to attempted murder, armed robbery and aggravated elder abuse. He’s being held on $1 million bail.
The 17-year-old was sent to a Riverside County juvenile detention facility to await the same charges, plus an additional charge for felony evading.
Investigators are now looking into the possibility that the two teens have been involved in similar robberies specifically targeting elderly victims in Riverside and Moreno Valley.
Anyone with information about Monday’s armed robbery or additional robberies that may be connected is urged to contact RPD Detective Anthony Watkins at 951-353-7105 or Detective Richard Glover at 951-353-7134.
Anonymous tips can be sent via email or by downloading the Riverside Police Department’s Atlas 1 mobile app.
Authorities are also encouraging residents, especially elderly individuals, to take extra precautions to avoid becoming a victim. Tips include keeping aware of your surroundings, staying in well-lit areas, traveling with a friend when possible and making large deposits of withdrawals inside the bank instead of outside.
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