San Diego

A 67-year-old San Diego man helped police capture a bank robbery suspect Thursday in Hillcrest, authorities said.

Retired salesman Herb Allen spotted the man shortly after the 11:35 a.m. robbery of the HomeFed Bank branch at 3904 Park Blvd. “I saw him walking across the street (from the bank) with his pants smoking like a Roman candle,” Allen said.

A dye package inside the suspected robber’s loot exploded and caused the fireworks, police spokesman Bill Robinson said. When police arrived, Allen directed them toward the fleeing suspect, who was by then running in his underwear.

The suspect found that the exploding package not only emitted a red dye, but also generated a tremendous amount of heat, Robinson said. Police surrounded and apprehended the suspect in his white, red-stained underwear.

Allen said he helped identify the suspect for the police, pointing out that the red dye was the “dead give-away.” Police identified the suspect as Ronald Willette, 31, address unknown. Willette is also being investigated in connection with six other robberies, police said.

Police think that, without the aid of Allen, the robbery might have succeeded. “The suspect was far enough away that he would have escaped,” Robinson said.

The robbery began when a teller was given a note written on gray plastic. The note said, “This is a holdup, I’ve a gun. No alarms, be cool. Just 100’s, 50’s, 20’s & 10’s.” The teller gave the suspect a bag with $1,800 and the dye pack.