STAFF REPORTS
Luger Bandit in Action
Photo courtesy of : FBI
Chino – The “Luger Bandit,” who had been sought for the robbery of multiple banks, appears to have been caught after a bank holdup in Chino on Wed., April 16. The suspect matched the FBI’s description of the individual associated with multiple robberies, including those in Corona, Eastvale, Granada Hills, and Fontana. Two of the banks that had been robbed were reportedly offering a combined $15,000 for information leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.
The most recent holdup occurred at 9:14 a.m. on Wednesday, at the Chase Bank located at 7033 Schaefer Ave in Chino. The suspect, identified as Ramsin Jonathan Malek, was taken into custody around 9:30 a.m. According to jail records, he was booked for investigation of armed robbery with bail set at $100,000.
According to a statement released from Chino spokeswoman, Michelle Van Der Linden, Malek was arrested after witnesses informed police that the gunman had fled in a grey BMW 328i. When police made a traffic stop after spotting a vehicle matching the description, Malek was arrested. In his vehicle was a Luger pistol.
Another robbery linked with the suspect just last week was the Chase Bank in San Dimas. The Los Angeles County San Dimas Sheriff’s Station reported that a man, armed with a handgun, entered the bank at 1198 Via Verde Drive on Wed., April 9. The suspect demanded money before fleeing on foot. Authorities linked the incident with several other banks allegedly robbed by the same suspect in the span of more than a year.
In a news release from the FBI, law enforcement began seeking the public’s assistance in the search for the bank robber early in 2013. The suspect was said to have a modus operandi of ordering employees and customers to the ground while brandishing a luger-type weapon.
