CALEXICO - The two men suspected of robbing a Chase Bank in the Imperial Valley almost 7 months ago, were arrested over the weekend.
The robbery happened on April 25th and it happened at the Chase Bank in Calexico. Thanks to the efforts of the Calexico Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, both men are now in custody.
It was a typical Wednesday for the staff at the Chase Bank, until 23 year-old Riverside County Resident, Ernesto Ramirez, interrupted the peaceful day.
He walked into the bank, walked up to a teller and slipped her a note. That note stated that he had a gun and demanded money.
He was last seen running north in the parking lot. He then jumped into an older model Doge 4-door, allegedly driven by Carmelo Trujillo.
Trujillo, a 35 year-old Imperial Valley resident, was the first to be arrested after agreeing to meet FBI agents on Saturday.
It took almost 7 months, but the 2 departments got it done.
"We were able to process the scene together, we were able to interview witnesses together, and we were able to obtain surveillance together using their resources along with our resources", says Calexico Police Department Detective, Manuel Ceja.
Ramirez was arrested at the Greyhound Bus station in El Centro a little later after Police received a tip that he had boarded a bus on his way to Calexico and possibly Mexico
Detective Ceja says that, like in this case, bank tellers should trust their local authorities and always do as the robbers say.
"It is prudent that the clerks at a bank follow any instructions given to them by any robber at the moment and not to risk their lives along with any customers".
He says that working with the FBI on the investigation was a pleasure as teamwork once again got the mission accomplished.
"I'd to thank the FBI that is assigned to The imperial County for their hard work, along with keeping us in the investigation throughout, following leads. We had questions that arise through our investigation and they were very helpful".
According to Detective Ceja, both Ramirez and Trujillo seemed to be relieved when caught. They were on the run for nearly 7 months, nearly 7 months of looking behind their back on a constant basis.
Social Tools