Police Arrest Pair in 3 Bank Robberies

FBI and police officers have arrested two teenagers suspected of robbing two banks in Port Hueneme and one in Ventura, officials said Friday.

Daniel Beirne, 19, and Noah Bell, 19, both of Oxnard, were arrested Thursday after a tipster recognized a picture in a newspaper.

Bank surveillance cameras showed the two during a series of recent robberies, said Port Hueneme Sgt. Jerry Beck.

The first occurred July 27 at a California Federal branch in Port Hueneme, and the second followed a day later at a Washington Mutual branch in the same city. A third robbery occurred Aug. 3 at Santa Barbara Bank and Trust in Ventura.

“These guys had their hats backwards, carrying backpacks and kind of blended in with the surrounding neighborhood,” Beck said.

The two men apparently would enter a bank, wait in line and hand the teller a note telling them they had a gun and demanding the teller work quickly, Beck said.

Beirne was arrested in Oxnard after police identified his car near Victoria Avenue and Gonzales Road. Bell was later arrested at his home in Oxnard without incident.

Witnesses later identified the two suspects in a lineup. The two apparently have not been arrested before, said David Nesbitt, supervisor of the FBI’s Ventura office.

The amount taken from the first two banks is estimated at $3,000, Beck said, but no money was recovered.