Police on lookout for tire iron wielding robber

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara authorities are looking for a woman who they say wielded a tire iron and attempted to rob two people at downtown ATM’s on Tuesday night and successfully robbed another.
Lt. Paul McCaffrey said the first two victims simply didn’t give up their money.
“Instead of relinquishing her money, the would-be female victim drove away and contacted police,” said Lt. Paul McCaffrey, a Santa Barbara Police spokesman, of the first victim.


“The suspect then confronted a man withdrawing cash at the ATM located in the same parking lot,” McCaffrey said. “The man refused to give up his money and the suspect fled the area.”
McCaffrey said the suspect then popped up in the Washington Mutual Bank parking lot at 1302 State St., where she confronted a man and a woman waiting for another female withdrawing money from an ATM.
McCaffrey said the two people in the car told the suspect they didn’t have any money, but when the woman at the ATM approached with $40 in her hand, he said the suspect finally got what she wanted.
“The suspect snatched $40 cash from her hand and ran to a red Acura Integra parked nearby,” he said.
McCaffrey said the vehicle was driven by a male accomplice.
“The startled victims tried following the suspect vehicle but quickly lost it in traffic,” McCaffrey said.
He said the suspect was described as a Hispanic or black female with a light complexion in her mid 20s with an average height.
He said anyone with information about the suspect is urged to contact Detective Jim Ella at 897-2346 or a watch commander at 897-2355.