Printer-friendly version
By Miriam Raftery
Photo: CC by SA-NC
January 29, 2022 (La Mesa) – A homeless man accused of robbing the Wells Fargo Bank in Grossmont Center on Thursday was arrested soon after in a nearby restaurant.
Sergio Hernandez, 30, a North County transient, allegedly demanded cash from a teller shortly before 3 p.m., pretending to have a concealed gun, according to Lieutenant Katy Lynch with La Mesa Police.
Patch.com reports that an officer saw the suspect walking into a restaurant in the mall. Hernandez was taken into custody without incident and charged with robbery. The stolen money was recovered and no weapon was found.
The crime was the second by a homeless individual targeting an East County bank this week, after a homeless woman was arrested for arson after allegedly setting fire to several ATM machines at a bank in El Cajon.
Comments
Police info
Housing status
Regarding residency, we list where the person lives and when
police provide "homeless" instead of a city or town, that's what gets listed.
It could point to issues in need of solutions, though. The recent arson fires started by a homeless person with a history of similar crimes points to the need for better mental healthcare, perhaps. And a story on a homeless person robbing a bank may indicate financial desperation.
Most homeless people are not criminals, of course, and there is no intent to imply such merely by providing information on where the person lives.