Armed Robber Takes Over Bank

An armed robber struck a busy Watsonville bank just before closing Friday, ordering everyone to the ground while he rifled through teller stations to steal cash, Watsonville police reported.

The robbery happened at the Wells Fargo at 1055 S. Green Valley Rd., near Main Street, just before 6 p.m. while 15 customers and seven employees were inside, according to Sgt. Eric Taylor.

The heist was a "take-over style robbery where he put everyone on the ground," Taylor said, then jumped over the counter to get the cash.

The robber, who had a handgun, then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. No shots were fired, Taylor said.

Outside, he jumped into an idling white sport utility vehicle driven by an accomplice and sped away toward Highway 1, according to police. Later, officers found a similar SUV abandoned in the Apple Hill neighborhood. It had been reported stolen in Sacramento and, late Friday, was being processed for evidence, Taylor said.

The gunpoint holdup is the first bank robbery in Watsonville since April, when . No one was hurt and no arrests were made. There also were two bank robberies in the city last winter.