Crime & Safety
Napa Police Nab Robbery Suspects Also Wanted In Contra Costa County
The trio of suspects is accused of robbing an elderly man of a large amount of money outside a Napa bank.
NAPA, CA — Suspects wanted in connection with an attempted robbery in Lafayette were arrested when they robbed a man outside a bank in Napa, police said.
Shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, Napa officers saw a car sought by the Lafayette Police Department. Officers decided to do a quick yet high-risk traffic stop of the suspects near the intersection of Solano Avenue and West Lincoln Avenue.
Officers detained the three people in the car, who were identified as Jefferson Cadena-Barragan, Rogelber Vargas-Hernandez and Kevin Cuestas Vargas.
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While officers were at the traffic stop scene, dispatchers notified them that a theft had just been reported outside the Wells Fargo bank at 3255 Jefferson St. in Napa. A 68-year-old man had made a large cash withdrawal at Wells Fargo and was in his car preparing to leave when the suspects worked collectively to distract him. They removed the money from the front seat of the victim's car and then drove off with the cash in hand, police said.
An investigation revealed the three people in the stopped car matched the description of the suspects in the Wells Fargo theft. Furthermore, Napa police Lt. Keri Sedgley said the modus operandi—MO—was similar to the Lafayette case.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Crime reports for Lafayette show there was an attempted strong-armed robbery of a person reported at 2:22 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, outside a local bank.
Napa police arrested Cadena-Barragan, Vargas-Hernandez and Cuestas Vargas on suspicion of grand theft, elder abuse and conspiracy, police said. The trio was booked into Napa County jail.
The money was recovered from one of the suspects and returned to the victim.
"We are thankful that no one was injured during this criminal act against our community member," Sedgley said. "Remember to be aware of your surroundings when leaving businesses. Promptly reporting any suspicious activity can prevent potential crime and protect others."
On Monday, jail records showed the trio was no longer in custody in Napa County.
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