Bank of America robbers pursued by police toss money from car to bystanders in south Los Angeles
September 13, 201211:18AM
This image provided by KNBC-TV shows bank robbery suspects throwing money from their vehicle during a police pursuit in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/KNBC-TV) Source: AP
"Money for nothing" as the bank robbers toss away the proceeds from their vehicle during a police pursuit in Los Angeles (AP Photo/KNBC-TV) Source: AP
"This isn't something we see every day," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Captain Mike Parker said. "This definitely had some unique aspects to it."
Hundreds of people in flocked to the scene of a high-speed police pursuit as Los Angeles police tried to catch alleged bank robbers who were tossing money out of their getaway vehicle, 4NBC reported.
Over a dozen times during the pursuit, handfuls of cash were tossed out of the backseat window of a black Volvo SUV that police had pursued from the scene of the robbery at a Bank of America branch in Santa Clarita, California.
"Kind of like a Robin Hood situation, rob from the rich, give to the poor," said a witness. An unidentified 23-year-old resident of the South LA neighborhood called in to NBC LA to express admiration for both the suspects and the police during the pursuit.
"I'm just so glad this person came to throw this money in the 'hood, basically," she said. "You usually see robbers and they take their stuff and they leave. But this guy came over and tried to help us out ... So It's more like all of us are supporting the robbers and the cops."
Sgt Parker discounted any notion that the suspects robbed a bank in order to share money with the neighborhood. "They were robbing a bank to steal and keep that money... I can't imagine they did this for the good of the community," he said.
Instead, said Sgt. Parker, flinging cash out the window was more likely a tactic to draw residents to the streets, distracting the police and putting human blockades between the suspects and the arresting officers.
"If they thought that by throwing money out the window, that that would distract us or have people get in the way and block us -- they're going to run out of money," Sgt Parker said. "We're not going to run out of sheriff's deputies. We're not going to run of helicopters. We're going to stick with them.
"I can't imagine they did this for the good of the community," Parker later added. During the pursuit, onlookers were waving to the suspected bank robbers, apparently signaling for them to throw more money. At times, the vehicle had to navigate through dozens of people in the streets west and soutwest of downtown LA.
Sgt Parker said there are either four or five suspects. They were armed with at least one handgun, he said. Two were taken into custody at the end of the pursuit.
