UPDATE: SATURDAY 11 a.m. The man suspected of robbing the Bank of America branch in Scotts Valley Jan. 26 was in custody Friday in Santa Clara County along with at least one accomplice, more than 30 hours after a two-county had begun, involving local, state and federal law enforcement.
The Scotts Valley Police released this statement early Saturday, Jan. 28:
“After a 30-hour manhunt the Scotts Valley bank robber is now in custody! SVPD would like to thank Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, CHP – Santa Cruz, and all of the other law enforcement agencies who helped our officers the day of the bank robbery. A special thanks goes out to San Jose Police Department for finally catching the suspect in their city yesterday. A job well done by everyone involved.”
A manhunt had continued Friday morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains for a bank robbery suspect who led police on a chase from Scotts Valley, authorities said.
On Thursday night the man broke into a house on Weaver Road and Soda Spring Road in Lexington Hills, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Rich Glennon said.
A woman returned home and encountered the man while he was armed with a large hunting knife inside her house at 10 p.m., Glennon said. The man stole the woman’s van. The homeowner was not injured.
The man quickly abandoned the van as police were swarming the area, and he fled again on foot.
Deputies said the gunman was also spotted Thursday night in the area of Aldercroft Heights Road and Locust Drive in Los Gatos.
The man believed to be the robbery suspect was last seen wearing a green beanie, teal San Jose Sharks shirt, dark-colored jeans and black and white sneakers, according to Sgt. Rich Glennon of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities asked residents in the Los Gatos hills to be on the lookout for Hispanic Male, 5’9, thin build, groomed facial hair.
The bank robbery occurred in Scotts Valley about 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
The suspect fled from the scene in a white sedan and officers pursued the vehicle at high speed up Scotts Valley Drive and entered Highway 17 at Granite Creek Road.
Police closed both directions of Highway 17 as the chase proceeded to the Redwood Estates off ramp, just south of the Lexington Reservoir, where the suspect crashed his car and fled the scene on foot.
A Scotts Valley police officer opened fire at the suspect near Redwood Estates after he crashed his car just north of Madrone Drive, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. The officer was not injured in the encounter. It was not clear whether the suspect was hit by the gunfire, and there is no immediate evidence to suggest that he showed a weapon to the officer.
All lanes of Highway 17 between Summit and Idylwild roads were closed for until 8:15 p.m., jamming commuter traffic. The Santa Clara County SWAT team plus deputies on off-road motorcycles methodically searched homes, yards and wooded areas, the latter by all-terrain vehicle. Northbound traffic was diverted off to Summit Road while most southbound traffic was diverted at Bear Creek Road.
The suspect was believed to have gone into nearby woods to elude capture, and the search for him initially focused on the area around the vehicle before moving to Lexington Hills.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and FBI were leading the search efforts.
