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Suspected bank robber arrested after pursuit

Posted at 11:53 AM, Jan 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-14 01:55:59-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A man suspected of robbing a Mira Mesa bank led police on a high-speed chase Wednesday morning that ended with his arrest in front of a Carlsbad home.

Just after 9:20 a.m., San Diego police responded to a report of a robbery at the Navy Federal Credit Union in the 10000 block of Black Mountain Road.

Officers said Thomas Joseph Dufek, 29, approached the teller window and demanded the cash in her drawer. The teller handed Dufek the cash and he left in a white Toyota pickup, police said.

Responding officers spotted the truck on Interstate 15 and pursued it into the North County. The vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph during the pursuit.

The suspected robber eventually made his way onto Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad, where his truck's tires were damaged by police spike strips.

As patrol cars converged, Dufek ditched his vehicle in the roadway and ran into a nearby neighborhood, police said.

Police cornered the man after he scaled a fence into a home's backyard and then arrested him without incident.

Officers took Dufek to Central Jail, where he was held on suspicion of bank robbery.