Teenager Enters Plea in Takeover of Bank

A San Fernando Valley teenager pleaded not guilty Monday to robbery and assault charges for allegedly taking over a Woodland Hills bank and stealing more than $75,000 from a bank vault.

Jason Bradley Weiss, 19, of Chatsworth, entered his plea in Van Nuys Municipal Court on three counts of robbery and one count of assault with a firearm, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Carol Fisch, who is prosecuting Weiss. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21 and bail was set at $200,000.

Fisch said she also plans to charge Weiss with assault on a peace officer for nearly running down a police officer with a car as he fled a California Federal Bank branch on Dec. 9. The robbery began shortly after 3:15 p.m. when two gunmen entered the bank at 21945 Erwin St. and demanded cash from tellers, then forced customers and employees into a vault at gunpoint.

Once inside the vault, the gunmen emptied money drawers and then cleaned out several tellers’ stations. A bank guard alerted police, who arrived just as the robbers were leaving.

Weiss allegedly crashed the getaway car and escaped police by sprinting through The Promenade mall. Police arrested him later that evening at a pool hall.

A 16-year-old accomplice was caught immediately and has been arraigned in Juvenile Court. Prosecutors have asked to try him as an adult.