Slaying of Bank Robber Self-Defense, Officials Hint

A Dana Point man who shot and killed a suspected bank robber Monday afternoon appeared to have acted in self-defense and may not be charged, officials indicated Tuesday.

FBI spokesman Fred Reagan and local authorities said that while the shooting death of Benjamin James Conkle, 31, of Poway remains under investigation, it appears that the man who killed him acted justifiably.

“It looks like it came down that way,” Reagan said.

Authorities said Robert S. Eeg, 42, shot and killed Conkle after the gun-waving Conkle robbed a Bank of America branch near Laguna Hills Mall Monday afternoon. Witnesses said Eeg, a Dana Point boat builder, followed Conkle into the parking lot, retrieved a gun from his van and fired at Conkle after the robber allegedly lunged at him.

The Orange County district attorney’s office is reviewing the case and will determine if Eeg should be charged with any crime, Sheriff’s Lt. Richard J. Olson said. Eeg could not be reached for comment.

“After all the interviews are conducted, it’s put in a case file and will be looked at by the D.A.’s office,” Olson said. But he added: “I don’t think they will be able to charge him with anything.”

Meanwhile, the FBI said Tuesday that it is reviewing two unsolved bank robberies in San Diego County to determine if they were committed by Conkle, who died at the scene of the Laguna Hills holdup.

The FBI’s San Diego County office said the cases involved two 1990 armed robberies--one on Oct. 31 and one on Dec. 17.

“We’re investigating that possibility,” FBI agent Jack Kelly said.

In both the earlier robberies, the bandit was wearing a ski mask, rather than a motorcycle helmet like the one that Conkle was wearing during the Laguna Hills robbery.

But Kelly said Conkle’s physical description, the description of the gun and the manner in which he waved his handgun in the air at the Laguna Hills bank and ordered the customers to the floor were similar to the other robberies.

“You don’t have that many takeover-style robberies,” Kelly said. “Normally, they use a note.”

Police said that before robbing the bank, Conkle allegedly stole a rental car in Mission Viejo. Eeg told authorities that he followed Conkle outside the bank because he was worried that Conkle might kidnap his secretary, who was waiting in his van.