Bank Holdup Suspect Flees, Crashes

A suspect in the holdup of a busy Santa Ana bank was in custody Thursday after leading police on a car chase, officials said.

Devario Tidwell, 30, of Orange is being held on suspicion of several offenses, including bank robbery and evading arrest, Santa Ana Police Sgt. Raul Luna said.

Luna gave this account of the incident:

Shortly before 10 a.m., a man entered a Bank of America branch, fired a shot from a semiautomatic pistol, jumped the counter and demanded money. He took cash and fled to a parking lot near Old Tustin Avenue and 17th Street, where he climbed into a gold Ford Thunderbird and sped off.

A witness called police and gave a description of the car, which a police helicopter then spotted on city streets.

With police cars pursuing him, the robber accelerated, driving as fast at 90 mph, Luna said. Near Segerstrom and Raitt streets, the driver lost control of the car, swiped a Chevrolet Blazer and careened into an 8-foot concrete block wall.

The suspect climbed over the wall into a neighborhood, where he finally surrendered, Luna said.

Investigators said they found a gun and money inside the suspect’s car. No one was hurt during the robbery or pursuit, police said.