Pasadena Bank Robbed; Man Held
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Police cordoned off several blocks of a busy Pasadena shopping district for nearly five hours Saturday after a man who claimed to have a bomb in his briefcase robbed a bank of more than $200,000. A suspect was arrested a short time later and the money was recovered.
A man, disguised in women’s clothing, walked into Wells Fargo Bank at Green Street and Lake Avenue about 9:15 a.m., according to Pasadena Police Lt. Chris Vicino. He demanded money after he told the teller he had a bomb.
The suspect, identified as Petrus Henry Schamrel, 33, threatened to detonate the bomb if anyone followed him out of the bank, according to Vicino.
Schamrel was arrested “about five minutes after the robbery occurred,” Vicino said.
The Sheriff’s Department bomb squad safely blew up a briefcase that the suspect dropped outside the bank. No bomb was found.
A second briefcase, found behind the bank, was found to contain all the money.
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