2 Catch Bank Robbery Suspect
An off-duty police officer and a bank employee caught a man suspected of robbing a bank Saturday after capturing him in a nearby parking structure, police said.
The bank employee and a Cypress police officer held Steven Michael Parker, 36, of Costa Mesa in the parking structure near Sunflower Avenue and Bristol Street shortly after a 12:40 p.m. robbery, police said.
A man walked into the Security Pacific Bank at 3730 S. Bristol St. and demanded money from a teller, police said. The teller complied and the man scooped up the cash and left the bank on foot, said Santa Ana Police Lt. Earl Porter.
Another bank employee, who was not identified, saw Parker leave the bank and began following him as he crossed the bank parking lot. While crossing the lot, Parker tripped and spilled some of his loot, police said.
At that point, Patrick Veneski, the off-duty police officer, noticed Parker and also began following him. Parker led his two pursuers into a parking structure, where they tackled him and held him until Santa Ana police arrived, Porter said.
Police recovered an undisclosed amount of money and transported Parker to County Jail in Santa Ana, where he was being held on suspicion of bank robbery.
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