Alleged robber already in county jail for parole violation
Morgan Hill – A Morgan Hill man already in custody in Santa Clara County Jail on an unrelated charge may be the number one suspect in the robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank at Main Avenue and Monterey Road, according to Morgan Hill Police.
Richard Allen Pena, 40, was singled out when police received an anonymous tip that he was behind the robbery. Pena was in custody for a parole violation.
“We’re in the process of securing a warrant so that he will be charged with bank robbery,” MHPD Chief Bruce Cumming said Thursday. “We have, actually, witnesses who have positively identified him.”
The bank’s security cameras caught Pena as he allegedly handed a teller a note while in the bank Feb. 14. The teller told police she did not remember the exact wording of the note, but remembered the word “shoot.” Pena allegedly used a hand under his shirt to simulate a weapon.
After receiving $420 from the teller, Pena fled the scene, according to police.
It is unclear when Pena was arrested for the parole violation, but he was apprehended by his probation officer as a parolee at-large, according to police. Mark Cursi, a public information officer with the county jail, declined to disclose any information on the suspect other than to verify that he is in custody.
A reward was offered by Wells Fargo for his capture and conviction; because of the anonymous tip, there will be no reward, Cumming said.
“This was someone who did their civic duty,” he said. “This case in particular illustrates that the anonymous tip line does work. It shows that we listen to it and quickly follow up on the tips provided.”
