A 61-year-old man suspected of robbing a bank in Acton and attempting to rob a woman at a bank in Palmdale has been taken into custody, authorities announced Wednesday.
Joseph Bennett was located by deputies in Palmdale on Nov. 27, and was arrested and booked on charges of robbery and attempted robbery, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
On June 21, deputies from the LASD Major Crimes Bureau Metro Detail and Palmdale station investigators responded to reports of a robbery at the California Bank and Trust in Acton.
Bennett allegedly pretended to have a firearm and demanded that a teller fill a bag with money before fleeing the bank in an unknown direction with several hundred dollars in stolen cash.
On Nov. 21, deputies from the LASD’s Palmdale station responded to a report of an attempted robbery in the 4100 block of Sierra Highway. Authorities said a man armed with a handgun approached a woman who was walking back to her vehicle after leaving the bank and demanded that she hand over her purse.
“When the victim refused to hand over her purse, the suspect physically assaulted her with his fists,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement.
The woman managed to get inside her vehicle and fled the location moments before obtaining partial license plate information from a vehicle allegedly driven by Bennett, which was described as a white pickup truck.
Bennett was eventually taken into custody without incident.
“A search of the vehicle and a nearby residence he was believed to be staying at revealed evidence believed to be used during both robberies,” sheriff’s officials said.
Bennett was being held on $250,000 bail, with his case presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office at the Antelope Valley Court Branch in collaboration with the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Division.
Anyone with information regarding the two crimes was urged to contact the LASD Major Crimes Bureau Metro Detail at 562-946-7037. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit p3tips.com.