A 38-year-old transient from Orange County has been arrested for allegedly robbing or trying to rob 11 Southland banks last year, authorities said.
Anthony Romero was arrested on March 8 as he exited the Town House Motel in the 7400 block of Orangethorpe Avenue in Buena Park, according to Sgt. Michael Mileski of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau. Romero had been under surveillance.
The heists and attempted robberies took place in February and March of 2017 at banks in southeast Los Angeles and north Orange counties, Mileski said.
“During the course of the investigation, Major Crimes Bureau detectives worked with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Garden Grove, Anaheim and Los Angeles police departments, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI,” Mileski said Tuesday.
“Working alongside their law enforcement counterparts, MCB detectives were able to identify a suspect who was believed to have committed 11 bank robberies at U.S. and Chase Banks.”
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In each case, Romero allegedly approached the teller and produced a note demanding money, the sergeant said.
“During the investigation, detectives discovered that suspect Romero was on felony probation for a prior bank robbery offense committed in Orange County,” Mileski said.
During eight of the heists, Romero allegedly got away with cash. He came away empty-handed on three occasions, according to Mileski, who said no weapons were seen during any of the heists.
Romero admitted to robbing or attempting to rob the 11 banks, Mileski said.
Detectives will present their case to the appropriate district attorney’s office for consideration of filing criminal charges against Romero, Mileski said.
—City News Service