Robbery suspect commits suicide
A man suspected in 12 bank robberies committed suicide Friday during a standoff with police after a pursuit that ended in Dana Point, authorities said.
The man, whose name had not been released, was spotted by Anaheim police shortly after he allegedly robbed a Washington Mutual branch in the 500 block of North Euclid Street. A patrol officer recognized the suspect’s new silver Ford F-150 pickup, which a witness had told police was the getaway vehicle, on southbound Interstate 5 near State College Boulevard and a pursuit ensued.
When officers tried to stop the truck in the Lake Forest area, the man put a gun to his head, said Anaheim police spokesman Sgt. Rick Martinez. As the man reached Dana Point, he tossed some cash onto the freeway; the money was recovered by police.
The man, described by police to be in his late 40s to early 50s, exited the freeway onto Pacific Coast Highway and drove to the end of Dana Point Harbor Drive next to the Ocean Institute.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies and Anaheim police officers attempted to persuade him to drop his gun, but as authorities scrambled to evacuate the area, the man left his truck, walked over to an area with picnic tables and shot himself. He was pronounced dead at a hospital at 1:30 p.m.
“There were a lot of people in the line of fire,” Martinez said. “That’s one of the reasons why we didn’t shoot him.”
Police said they believe the man’s string of robberies began May 11 in Yorba Linda.
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