Police Chase Bank Robber in Downtown Manhattan Beach

A man described by police as a serial bank robber was in custody Thursday after a vehicle and foot chase in Manhattan Beach.

The suspect had used a simulated firearm to obtain cash from a teller at a Chase bank branch in the 1200 block of Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach around 4:35 p.m. Thursday, said Hermosa Beach police Captain Tom Thompson.

Thompson said the suspect was identified and stopped by a Manhattan Beach police officer soon after leaving the bank but drove off in a stolen vehicle as the officer exited his vehicle.

Thompson said the suspect crashed the vehicle, fled on foot and was caught about three blocks away near the intersection of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and North Valley Drive.

An unspecified amount of money and a stolen firearm were recovered from the vehicle, Thompson said.

Thompson said the suspect was a serial bank robber who had struck numerous banks in the South Bay.

- City News Service