2 CA Bank Robberies Linked To 62-Year-Old Local Man

TEMECULA, CA — A 62-year-old Murrieta man was in county jail Wednesday night on suspicion of robbing three local banks.

Sonny Tho Leu was behind bars at Southwest Detention Center after his arrest in the alleged robbery spree that began just before noon Tuesday.

The first bank hit was in the 40400 block of Margarita Road in Temecula. Riverside County sheriff's deputies responded to the financial institution after a panic alarm was triggered there.

Deputies learned the suspect passed a note to a teller demanding money. The teller complied and the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

As the investigation was underway, two other bank heists occurred in Murrieta involving the same hold-up method. The suspect's description also matched that of the alleged Temecula bank robber, according to the sheriff's department.

The Murrieta Police Department reported that the first robbery in their city took place around 12:19 p.m. at a bank in the 40000 block of California Oaks Road. According to the law enforcement agency, the suspect passed a note demanding money while displaying a firearm in his waistband. The teller complied, and the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

Then, just before 1 p.m., Murrieta police received a call about another armed robbery at a bank in the 25000 block of Hancock Avenue. Again, the suspect passed a note demanding money and then fled with an undisclosed amount.

During the Murrieta investigations, detectives identified the suspect vehicle, which was spotted a short time later as it pulled into a residential driveway in the 35000 block of Crickhowell Avenue. Leu was behind the wheel, according to Murrieta PD.

"Through investigative means, Leu was positively identified as the suspect responsible for the three bank robberies," according to the sheriff's department.

A search warrant was served on Leu’s residence and vehicle, "during which several items of evidentiary value were located connecting Leu to each of the robberies," the sheriff's department reported.

Leu was taken into custody at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on suspicion of bank robbery and making terrorist threats. He is slated for an initial court appearance Thursday.

No one was hurt during the alleged robberies.