Two Held After Group of Armed Men Rob Bank

Five or six well-dressed men armed with handguns burst into a Tustin bank Wednesday morning, firing a shot into a wall before fleeing with a small amount of cash, according to the FBI. Two men in their 20s, suspected of being part of the group, were later arrested, and a portion of the cash was recovered.

“We anticipate filing charges tomorrow,” said Tim White, a spokesman for the FBI.

Upon entering the El Dorado bank in the 17000 block of East 17th Street, the apparent leader of the group fired his weapon and ordered more than a dozen employees and customers to the floor, said William Rheder, bank robbery investigation coordinator for the FBI.

The robbers then emptied several teller drawers of “an insignificant amount of money” and fled in two cars, Rheder said.

Investigators found one of the cars, a red Chevy Blazer, a mile away on Tustin Avenue. They also found some clothing they think was worn by the robbers and some money believed to have been taken from the bank.

Based on information from witnesses to the crime, authorities detained two men near the abandoned car, questioned them and arrested them.

The other vehicle, a gray Cadillac, is still being sought, Rheder said.

Investigators said they suspect the robbers were hoping to take money from the bank’s vault but were unable to break through its security devices.