SANTA PAULA : Man Forces Woman to Withdraw $5,000

A woman who offered to help a stranger Friday found herself robbed of $5,000, Santa Paula police said.

Sgt. Gary D. Marshall said a heavyset woman in a black dress approached the victim about 11:15 a.m. at Main and 8th streets, saying she was new to the country and needed help finding a lawyer.

The victim, whose name Marshall said was not available, agreed to help the woman, but said she first had to do some banking at a nearby Santa Paula Savings branch.

When the two women reached the bank’s entrance, a well-dressed man confronted the victim, Marshall said. He told her that he had a handgun in his pocket and would kill her if she did not accompany him into the bank and make a withdrawal.

The man, who never displayed a weapon, stood at the woman’s side as the teller handed her $5,000 in $50 bills. Neither bank customers nor the teller suspected anything was amiss because the woman remained calm, Marshall said. The man and woman, described as both Latino and appearing to be in their 40s, left the victim unharmed.