Bank ‘Robbery’ Only a Bad Joke
A man who pretended to rob a bank in Oxnard ended up handcuffed and face down on the pavement at gunpoint when his joke backfired, authorities said Wednesday.
Oxnard police said a man walked into the Bank of America on Oxnard Boulevard at 1 p.m. Tuesday, got into line and suddenly threw his hands in the air and yelled: “This is a stickup.”
He then walked out of the building but returned minutes later, police said. However, tellers had already called 911.
Police waited outside for the possible bank robber to emerge.
“They didn’t go in, because they didn’t want a hostage situation,” Senior Officer Tom Chronister said.
When the man appeared, police forced him to the ground at gunpoint and handcuffed him. A search revealed he was unarmed and police realized the remark was only a joke.
The man, 23-year-old Anthony Daniel Cardoza, was not charged with any crime in the bank incident, but it was found that he had an outstanding traffic violation.
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