1 Suspect in Custody : Bank Heist a Washout--Hostages, Robbers Flee

A pair of bank robbers apparently sneaked out the back door of a Bank of America branch on Imperial Highway in Downey this morning, just moments before dozens of police, sheriff’s deputies and FBI officials surrounded the location and prepared for a lengthy standoff with the armed suspects.

But their timely escape from the bank was apparently the only thing the two did right after easily gaining access to the bank through its roof sometime during the night. One was arrested later.

According to Downey Police Capt. Bob Williams, the suspects grabbed two female employees as they arrived for work at about 7:30 a.m.

“Open the safe, we know you have money in there, and you count it in the morning,” Williams said the women were told.

The women said they could not open the safe but could open the night deposit vault. It was unclear if any money was taken.

About this time a third woman arriving for work saw the night vault open, realized something was wrong and ran to call police at 7:45.

As police raced to the scene, Williams said, “one suspect took one of the employees to back of the bank and told her to open the back door. She did. But when she turned around, he (the suspect) was walking away. She said she left right there.”

The suspect apparently walked to the front of the bank, realized the first woman was missing, and, with his accomplice, ran to the back of the bank to look for her.

“Right then, the second gal ran out the front,” Williams said.

And at that moment, the authorities arrived in droves and surrounded the bank.

Meanwhile, a Downey patrolman spotted a man answering the description of one of the robbers in the back yard of a residence a few blocks away and arrested him.

The other suspect was believed to be in hiding in the area, and SWAT team members continued to surround the bank on the possibility that a suspect might still be there.

However, the suspect known to be on the loose may eventually just walk into the clutches of police.

The robbers apparently left their maroon Ford Escort getaway car parked in the street about half a block from the bank, Williams said.

In the car, he said, were the parole papers believed to belong to one of the suspects.