Robber, a Suicide, Was State Parolee
Authorities on Wednesday identified a 34-year-old suspected bank robber who shot himself in the head and died after a chase that ended in Laguna Hills.
Robert Michael Lemke of Scotts Valley, Calif., died at 1:40 p.m. at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo.
Lemke, who was on parole, was released from state prison in September after a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon in 1991, according to the state Department of Corrections in Sacramento. He was tentatively scheduled to be released from parole in 1995.
Police said a man robbed $2,000 from the First Interstate Bank at 3029 Harbor Blvd. about 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. After the robbery, a police helicopter spotted the suspect driving a white 1986 Porsche south on the San Diego Freeway.
The car led officers on a pursuit that reached speeds of 120 m.p.h. before the suspect exited at La Paz Road. The man crashed the car along Cabot Road near Oso Parkway, police said.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash and there were no other injuries, police said.
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