A woman arrested Monday on suspicion of robbing the Bank of the West in Auburn is also believed to be a suspect in up to 20 other bank robberies in Washington, Oregon and Montana, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Department.
About 2:25 p.m. Monday, a woman entered the bank at 13422 Lincoln Way. She passed a noted to a teller demanding money and stating that she was armed, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. She was given money and left the bank.
Witnesses in the shopping center saw the woman run from the bank and get into a car that was parked behind the bank. She and the driver then drove off.
A witness gave deputies a description of the vehicle and a possible license plate number.
Minutes later, deputies who had staked out Interstate 80, spotted the vehicle near Rocklin Road. Arrested without incident were Cynthia Van Holland (photo, left), 47, and Christopher Alonzo (photo, right), 26. Both are being held in Placer County Jail on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Placer County sheriff's detectives identified Van Holland as a possible suspect in the "Band Hair Bandit" robberies after examining evidence and surveillance photos, according to the news release. A joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is underway.
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