A Modesto man suspected of committing multiple bank robberies in Turlock and Modesto in the span of two days has been arrested, Modesto police say.
A bank robbery was reported at the Bank of Stockton in downtown Modesto on J Street at 5:14 p.m. on Oct. 2. Police say the suspect walked up to a bank teller and gave them a note demanding money.
The suspect, identified by police as Robert Vincent Mendez, took cash from the teller before fleeing into a nearby alley. Police say he then changed his appearance, ordered a ride through a rideshare app, and left city limits.
Officers worked with Modesto Police Department’s Real-Time Crime center to track the vehicle. The driver was stopped and told police that Mendez had been dropped off recently.
Detectives continued the investigation by reviewing records from the rideshare service that identified Mendez as the suspect, and additionally connected him to a bank robbery in Turlock that happened on Sept. 30. Police say distinctive tattoos and similarities in methods were what linked the two incidents.
Mendez was then tracked to Chicken Ranch Casino in Tuolumne County, where he was taken into custody on Oct. 2 as he was gambling — just hours after the bank robbery in Modesto.
Police say Mendez admitted responsibility for both robberies and also claimed he had committed other robberies as well, police say. Mendez has a criminal history including previous bank robberies in Washington and Oregon and has served time in prison.
More from CBS News
