A Saturday morning holdup at a Santa Maria bank led to the arrest of two men, one the suspected bank robber and the other a passerby who allegedly made off with cash dropped in the heist.
Santa Maria police Lt. Kim Graham said officers responded around 9:15 a.m. to a report of an armed robbery in progress at Wells Fargo Bank, 407 E. Main. As the alleged robber tried to flee, he dropped his loot while pointing a handgun at an officer chasing him, Graham said.
The suspect — identified as Arthur McClay Watkins, 55, of Arroyo Grande — was quickly captured without further incident.
Meanwhile, the dropped cash was picked up by a passerby who fled the scene rather than turn it in, Graham said.
The second man — identified as Jose Villa Mendez, 19, of Santa Maria — was tracked down by police and taken into custody, and his ill-gotten gains recovered.
“At this point, there is no indication that the individuals were working in unison,” said Graham, who did not disclose the amount of money taken in the holdup.
Graham said Watkins was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, and Mendez was booked for grand theft and possession of stolen property.
No further details were available late Saturday.
— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.