An elderly, lone gunman robbed a Chase bank branch in San Marcos but was later caught by police during a traffic stop, a San Diego sheriff's sergeant said Saturday.
The robbery at the Chase branch at 1921 W. San Marcos Blvd. occurred at 5 p.m. Friday, according to sheriff's Sgt. Conrad Berlinsky.
The 81-year-old suspect put a black box on the bank counter and gave the teller a note demanding money, Berlinsky said. The note said he had a gun and a bomb and the robber, later identified as Michael Lehman, brandished a handgun.
The teller gave Lehman the money and he walked out of the bank and drove away in a silver sedan, Berlinsky said. A bank employee, however, managed to get a partial license plate on the car.
At 5:15 p.m., a Carlsbad police officer made a traffic stop on a car that matched the description.
Lehman was positively identified as the robber by witnesses at the bank and taken into custody.
A sheriff's bomb squad was called to evaluate the black box and determined it was not a bomb, Berlinsky said.
No one was injured in the bank robbery.
