Man In Custody Accused Of String Of Woodland ATM Robberies
WOODLAND (CBS13) - An arrest has been made for a string of robberies at a Yolo Federal Credit Union ATM in Woodland.
With help from surveillance video and victims, police were able to connect the four crimes and arrest the suspect.
All four robberies happened at similar times between 8 p.m. and midnight and all in a similar fashion.
"I'm kind of shocked," said Tammy Russow.
Russow frequently uses the Yolo Federal Credit Union ATM.
"I've always come to this one when I've had to and I know my kids do. I never thought in a million years something like that would happen," she said.
The suspect, now in Woodland police custody, allegedly robbed two victims in March and two more just last week. He has not yet been identified.
Here's how police say he did it.
The suspect was hiding in nearby bushes and would wait for cars to pull into the parking lot. As soon as a driver pulled up to the ATM, he would pull a weapon on them and demand cash.
"In the first three, he used a firearm. In the last incident, he used a knife. He's not taking anything other than the cash that's coming from the atm," said Sgt. Victoria Danzyl.
Sgt. Danzyl said the victims and surveillance photos helped identify the suspect.
"I know they were all afraid and concerned about their well-being," said Sgt. Danzyl.
Despite the arrest, customers are still cautious.
"The doors are always locked on my car," said Russow.
"Anytime you use an ATM, you need to be aware of your surroundings," said. Sgt. Danzyl.
Danzyl said ATM robberies are extremely unusual for the area – they almost never happen.
Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Woodland resident Ervin Vargas.