Bank Robbery Suspects Jailed After 25-Minute Police Pursuit

Two bank robbery suspects were arrested Thursday after a 25-minute car chase through the streets of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach with police officers in pursuit, authorities said.

In the end, “they just stopped and surrendered,” said Sgt. Don Holford, a spokesman for the Costa Mesa Police Department.

The incident began about 5 p.m. when a man entered Western Financial Savings at 2000 Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa and demanded money from a teller. After collecting about $1,500, Holford said, the robber walked out of the bank and got into a white four-door Honda driven by a second man.

At the southern end of Costa Mesa, Holford said, police spotted the getaway car and tried to pull it over. The car sped away, he said, prompting a five-mile chase through the streets of the three cities as the men threw money out the windows of their car.

The chase ended, Holford said, in a parking lot at Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue in Huntington Beach when a pursuing police car managed to bump the suspects’ car, sending it out of control.

Police arrested Sean Linehan, 41, of Fountain Valley and John Oakes, 30, of Santa Ana. Both were taken to Costa Mesa Jail and are expected to be arraigned today on charges of bank robbery, authorities said. Bail was set at $50,000 apiece, Holford said, and the stolen money was recovered.