Police Arrest Transient in Bank Robbery
A man suspected of using unarmed grenades to coerce bank tellers into handing over money was arrested Monday following a robbery in the West San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police said.
James Molidor, 28, described as a transient living in Malibu, was arrested at 10:35 a.m., shortly after a robbery at the Security Pacific National Bank in the 6600 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, said Lt. Bruce Meyer.
Molidor was driving away from the bank in a sports car when he was stopped by officers, who were responding to the bank’s alarm and had a description of a getaway car, Meyer said. About $4,000 of the bank’s money and a practice grenade were found in the car, he said.
Meyer said Molidor is suspected of pulling the unarmed grenade from a briefcase and demanding the money from a teller at the bank. He is suspected of using a similar method to rob two other Valley financial institutions, Meyer said.
In a Feb. 22 robbery of a Fidelity Federal Savings & Loan branch in North Hollywood, a robber left two unarmed grenades behind after taking $4,500 from a teller, Meyer said. The savings and loan was evacuated before the bomb squad determined that the grenades contained no explosives.
The second robbery occurred March 17 at a First Nationwide Investment & Trust office in Woodland Hills. A man threatened a teller with a grenade until she handed over money, Meyer said.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.