Torrance Bank Caught in Wave of Robberies

A series of holdups at a Security Pacific Bank branch in north Torrance has alarmed nearby merchants and residents, prompting police and bank officials to step up security efforts.

Since January, the bank branch has been struck eight times by robbers, most of whom are suspected gang members or gang associates, according to Torrance police.

The branch is believed to be the most targeted bank in the South Bay, a victim of a wave of bank robberies sweeping Los Angeles County, according to law enforcement officials.

The primary lure of the Torrance bank, police say, is its accessible location on Crenshaw Boulevard, near Artesia Boulevard.

“It’s on two major streets, it’s in a heavily trafficked area and it’s near the (San Diego) freeway,” said Torrance police Sgt. Dave Smith.

In response, Torrance police have stepped up patrols in the area, and arrests have been made in five of the eight incidents.

Officials at Bank of America, which has acquired Security Pacific, said some of its branches in other areas of California have been robbed even more frequently than the Torrance office.

“It’s happening everywhere,” said Julie Jasper, a Los Angeles spokeswoman for Bank of America. “And it’s not just B of A.”

Indeed, law enforcement and bank officials said the string of holdups reflects a surge in bank robberies across Southern California. Los Angeles, which holds the title of America’s bank robbery capital, is on pace for another record-setting year in the number of holdups reported, said John Hoos, a spokesman for the FBI’s Los Angeles district.

In 1991, there were 2,355 holdups in the Los Angeles district. Through last Friday, 2,318 robberies had been reported this year. On several occasions, there have been more than 20 bank robberies in a single day.

Most disturbing, Hoos said, is that 357 of the holdups this year have been “takeover” robberies in which banks are commandeered by groups of criminals--often gang members--intent not only on stealing money but on terrorizing employees and customers. In 1991, there were only 140 takeover heists.

“It is not uncommon for a bank here to be hit several times,” Hoos said. “Sometimes we get a bank hit twice in the same day. We know for a fact that a lot of banks are cased.” One attempted takeover incident occurred at Security Pacific’s north Torrance branch on Nov. 7. It turned into a shootout when three hooded gunmen were confronted by two off-duty Los Angeles police officers hired by the bank for security work.

One of the gunmen, Shermi C. Villanueva, 18, of Los Angeles, was wounded in the confrontation and arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery; his two companions fled in a waiting car and are still at large, according to law enforcement and bank officials. No one else was injured in the incident.

Bank of America has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals connected with the holdup.

“We are deeply concerned by this violence and are prepared to do whatever it takes to apprehend these criminals,” Barbara Fallon-Walsh, Bank of America regional executive vice president, said in a written statement. That incident came on the heels of an Oct. 28 holdup of the branch. However, the escape of a lone robber was thwarted after a bank employee flagged down a Torrance officer patrolling the area. Because of the crimes, bank officials plan to install a bullet-proof plexiglass barrier at the branch that would stretch from the counter to the ceiling. Bank of America is also increasing its use of off-duty police officers for security duty as well as exploding dye packs and electronic monitoring devices, which are hidden in packets of money given to robbers.