2 Indicted In Woodstock Bank Robbery

WOODSTOCK GA — Two men who were captured in less than 15 minutes after robbing a Woodstock bank last month have been indicted on charges related to their alleged actions.

A Cherokee County grand jury indicted Marietta residents Rene Medina Rivera, 40, and Jose Luis Sandoval, 21, on two counts each of armed robbery and aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Rivera was also indicted on obstruction and fleeing and attempting to elude police charges.

Both men were apprehended following the Dec. 4 robbery of BB&T at 936 Towne Lake Parkway. Officers were dispatched to a call at 1:25 p.m. at the bank of two men who brandished a firearm and robbed the establishment.

According to the indictment, the defendants pointed a firearm at an employee and took money from the bank. They also aimed that .32-caliber handgun at a male and stole his wallet, the indictment adds.

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The two suspects fled in a vehicle westbound on Towne Lake Parkway. After receiving the alarm call, Woodstock police units arrived at the scene and received a detailed description of the pair and the vehicle, a Chevrolet Silverado. That information was broadcast to Cherokee County dispatchers, and deputy with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office observed the suspected vehicle on Bells Ferry Road.

That deputy tried to perform a traffic stop, but the suspects allegedly refused to pull over, so a vehicle pursuit ensued. According to the Georgia State Patrol, sheriff's deputies initially tried to perform a PIT maneuver on the truck, but were unsuccessful. The Chevrolet continued south on Bells Ferry Road until it reached Ga. 92. The alleged robbers turned right onto the state highway and continued westbound.

Sheriff's deputies and Woodstock officers continued the pursuit until a Woodstock cop performed a successful PIT maneuver near the Woodstock Road intersection, the state patrol said. The truck was immobilized, but the two men fled on foot. Officers chased the suspects, and they were quickly captured, Woodstock police said.

Woodstock police spokesperson Sgt. Randy Milligan previously told Patch the two men were arrested at 1:37 p.m. Tuesday by that agency as well as CSO deputies. Both men were taken into custody and transported to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

Photo: Luis Sandoval, left, and Rene Rivera. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office.