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Robbers Strike Compass Bank
suspect 1
This photo from BBVA Compass Banks surveillance system shows the robber that entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding money on Monday. The same suspect later did the same at Valley First Credit Union in nearby Oakdale. Photo Courtesy Escalon Police Department

A pair of bank robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of cash following a noontime robbery at the BBVA Compass Bank at 3380 McHenry Ave. in Escalon on Monday, April 18. A few hours later, a subject matching roughly the same description also robbed the Valley First Credit Union bank on West F Street in nearby Oakdale.

Escalon Police Chief Mike Borges said the incident in Escalon occurred about 12:05 p.m. Monday, April 18 when an unknown suspect walked into the local bank.

“The suspect passed a note demanding money, the clerk complied,” Borges said. “No weapon was seen.”

Borges did not release the amount of money provided to the robber.

“Shortly after this took place, witnesses saw the suspect near Edgetown and Narcissus and a cloud of red smoke suddenly appeared, indicating the possibly of a dye pack detonation,” the chief explained. “Two witnesses saw our suspect get into a vehicle and flee; they attempted to follow and get a license plate but they were unable to do so.”

The suspect vehicle was described as a small green Nissan pick-up truck. The driver was described only as a white male in his 30s wearing a white shirt.

“The bank suspect was described as a white male in his early 20s, about 5’10” and 170 pounds,” Borges said of the robber. “He was wearing what appeared to be a bleached blond wig in a pony tail that reached to the top of his shoulders, with a plaid shirt, jeans and a black baseball cap.”

Some cash was recovered in the area of Edgetown and Narcissus, Borges said, as well as along Brennan Avenue after police received a report from a witness who was riding her horse along Brennan and discovered the currency along the edge of the roadway.

The suspect vehicle fled the area and was last believed to be westbound on Brennan.

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the Escalon Police Department, Detective Robert Hardgraves at (209) 691-7358.

Just a few hours later, in the Oakdale robbery, police were notified of a silent alarm at 4:32 p.m. from the Valley First Credit Union and when contacting bank employees, learned the bank had been robbed.

Police surrounded the bank as dispatchers obtained information and determined from those inside that the robber had already left the area.

Witnesses reported to police that the robber was in his 20s, wore a brown hoodie sweatshirt and jeans, and had blonde hair, possibly a wig, that was in a ponytail – virtually the same description as the Escalon bank robber.