Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010

Police catch alleged robbers

FBI assisted in investigation

A man and a woman are in custody after allegedly robbing a Los Baños bank at gunpoint Tuesday morning.

At 9:09 a.m. the Los Baños Police Department was notified that Rabobank had been robbed.

Employees were taken by surprise by the suspects soon after opening for business, police said. The alleged robbers entered the bank, both wearing disguises and carrying semi-automatic handguns.

The suspects took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the area.

Police detectives contacted the FBI to assist with the investigation. After reviewing the bank’s surveillance video the FBI told local detectives that the couple may be responsible for several other robberies that occurred in Visalia and Colorado.

Law enforcement found the suspects in Burlingame on Wednesday. They were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery.

The male suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Joseph Thomas Nieto. The female suspect is 23-year-old Christina Drummond. Police said the couple most recently lived in Visalia, but are originally from Greeley, Colo.

They were booked into the Los Baños Jail.

A large percentage of the money that was stolen from Rabobank has been recovered, police said. In addition to working with the FBI, detectives asked law enforcement in Colorado to participate in the investigation.

Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 388-6563 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com