Alleged bank robbers headed to court

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- Two men arrested by police Thursday afternoon on

suspicion of robbing a bank and leading officers on a 25-minute chase

will be arraigned in the Harbor Justice Center on Monday, officials said.

Police arrested Sean Linehan, 41, of Fountain Valley and Christopher

John Oakes, 30, of Santa Ana after a pursuit that began in Costa Mesa and

ended in Huntington Beach with police ramming the suspects’ car and

forcing driver Oakes to stop.

Officials said Linehan entered Western Financial Savings Bank in the

2000 block of Harbor Boulevard and demanded money from the teller.

No weapon or threatening note was used in the robbery, said Sgt. Don

Holford of the Costa Mesa Police Department. Linehan simply told the

teller, “This is a robbery” and the teller handed him the money, Holford

said.

Almost all of the $1,500 that the men took from the bank has been

recovered, he said. The suspects threw some dollar bills out the window

as they were driving down Balboa Boulevard, but officers in patrol cars

picked up the money, Holford said.

“We also had some honest citizens calling in saying they had found

some money,” he said.

Both men are currently being held in the Costa Mesa Police Department

jail. Bail is set at $50,000.