The Region - News from Aug. 5, 1987

A man armed with a small handgun kidnaped two Santa Barbara travel agents and forced them to drive him to a savings and loan branch in Goleta, where he took one of the women inside and robbed the bank, authorities said. After leaving the savings and loan, the man had the women drive him to the area of Castillo Street and Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara, where he got out of the car and walked away, police said. Police said the man, believed to be in his early 20s, walked into Rice Travel Service on State Street and robbed the business of a small amount of cash. He then ordered the women--office manager Connie Smith of Santa Maria and agent Amy Mills--to drive him to Home Savings of America in Goleta. The gunman took one of the women inside the bank, robbed it of an undisclosed amount of cash, then demanded to be driven back into Santa Barbara, police said.