Bank robber shot and killed in Fontana

Witness says armed bank robbery suspect reached for a gun before officer-involved shooting

Fontana police shot and killed a bank robber in a Wendy's parking lot Thursday afternoon.

"It blows me away," said Fontana resident Nicole Bezi. "I was shocked." 

CBSLA

According to police, the suspect robbed a Bank of America on Summit and Beech Avenues in Fontana at about 1:20 p.m. before running out of the bank and across a parking lot into a nearby Wendy's. 

A short time later, the suspect ran back outside - through the back entrance - which is where police confronted him.

The suspect, reported to be an adult male, was shot and killed in the parking lot. 

"Yes, it was a confirmed armed robbery," said Fontana Police Department spokesperson Daniel Romero. 

Police said the suspect was armed, though it wasn't clear whether he had pointed the firearm or fired shots at law enforcement.

CBS reporters on the scene spoke with a witness who said, "I was making a left turn and I had to stop for someone crossing - it turned out to be the suspect. He was pulling down his ski mask, had a gun in his hand with a plastic bag over it."

He then detailed how the suspect entered the dumpster area behind the Wendy's, which is enclosed by a wall, where he changed his clothes and left his weapon before entering the fast-food restaurant.

"As officers were setting up a perimeter at the Wendy's, the suspect exited the building and ran north," said Romero. 

The witness speculated that he realized authorities were aware of his location, deciding to "go for his weapon back there," moments before he was fatally shot. 

Investigators remained on scene as they examined evidence and gathered additional information. 

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