Police Officer, Passer-By Capture Robbery Suspect

An off-duty San Diego police officer and a passer-by chased and caught a man Friday who moments earlier had allegedly robbed a savings and loan office, police said.

Anthony Leevaughn Jones, 25, of La Mesa was being held in connection with the robbery, Police Department spokesman Dave Cohen said.

Jones allegedly entered the Glendale Federal Savings & Loan branch at 5998 El Cajon Blvd. at 10:45 a.m. He presented a note and demanded money, then fled after a teller gave him an undisclosed sum, police said.

Officer Richard Parrella was driving into the bank parking lot to cash a check as Jones was fleeing, police said. As Jones crossed the parking lot, a dye pack hidden in the package given to him by the teller exploded, spraying him with dye, police said.

Parrella chased the man on foot, and was joined in the pursuit by passer-by Hank Mendez, 22, who was driving a car.

The chase went through alleys and behind a motel before doubling back to within several hundred feet of the bank, police said. Mendez tackled the suspect in front of the 61st Street home of Kathy Estes.

Estes responded to Parrella’s calls for tape, which Parrella used to bind Jones’ hands.

Police eventually turned Jones over to the custody FBI agents. Much of the money was recovered in the bank parking lot, Cohen said.

In a second bank robbery Friday, a man escaped on foot with an undisclosed amount of money from Great American First Savings Bank at 2500 5th Ave. The bandit, described as 6 feet tall, 180 pounds and in his late 20s, was wearing sunglasses, a red baseball cap, jeans and loafers with white socks.