VENTURA : Man Held in Heist, Fatal Police Shooting

A Ventura man was being held Friday in Kern County Jail on suspicion of armed robbery and murder for the shooting death by Bakersfield police of his alleged Carpinteria accomplice.

Paul McKeon, 29, of Ventura is being held without bail over the weekend, awaiting his arraignment next week. State law allows authorities to charge someone with murder if an accomplice is killed by police during a criminal act.

Mark Rangel Morales Sr., 30, of Carpinteria, died Thursday from police gunfire after a car and foot pursuit and bank robbery.

Local FBI agents are investigating whether the pair were involved in any unsolved Ventura County bank robberies, including four heists over the past four days.

McKeon and Morales are suspected of robbing Union Bank in Bakersfield at 2:08 p.m. Thursday. Morales allegedly entered the bank, acted as if he had a weapon and demanded money, Bakersfield Police Sgt. Bill Henry said.

After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, he allegedly ran through a parking lot, getting into a waiting 1978 Oldsmobile, Henry said.

A Bakersfield police officer, who saw the car a few minutes later, attempted to stop the two men.

The pair “went down several main arteries into a residential area, throwing items from their vehicle,” Henry said. “They were trying to get rid of stuff. One was a handgun. The handgun was found in a yard.”

The car crashed into another vehicle, but no one was injured. The two men fled on foot, running through yards until Morales was shot in the chest by Sgt. Don Martin, Henry said. McKeon continued to run, hiding in a yard until police found him and arrested him without incident.

Morales had formerly been convicted of a Ventura County bank robbery and served six years in prison. Authorities were unsure if McKeon has a prior record.

Bakersfield police are also investigating whether the pair were involved in a Sept. 15 bank robbery there.