2 Teenagers Plead Guilty in Bank Robbery
Two teenagers accused of holding up a bank at gunpoint last year have pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery and false imprisonment, according to the district attorney’s office.
David Meza Salas and Joseph Jess Velasquez, both 17, face more than 20 years in prison when they are sentenced Dec. 9, said Deputy Dist. Atty. William Haney.
They entered guilty pleas Tuesday to three counts of armed robbery and five counts of false imprisonment in the June 20, 1996, takeover robbery at a First Interstate Bank branch in Newbury Park, Haney said.
Authorities say the teenagers were armed with semiautomatic rifles and wore ski masks, jackets and gloves when they entered the bank at 10 a.m. They ordered employees and customers to the floor and stole more than $32,000. The robbery was captured on video surveillance cameras, Haney said.
The robbers were arrested after a high-speed pursuit by Ventura County sheriff’s deputies.
Two adults in the getaway car already are serving federal prison sentences for their part in the robbery, Haney said.
In earlier hearings, Salas of Oxnard and Velasquez of Port Hueneme were found unfit for juvenile court, and were prosecuted as adults.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
