South OC Times

Orange County Sheriff's Department investigators are requesting the public's help to gather more information and find witnesses regarding a bank robbery that occurred on October 17 in Lake Forest.

The incident took place at 12:03 p.m. when deputies were called to Chase Bank located at Portola Parkway and Bake Parkway for a reported armed robbery. Before law enforcement arrived, a male suspect entered the bank with a handgun and approached a teller. The suspect fired a shot towards the teller's feet but did not cause any injuries. He escaped with around $31,000 before deputies reached the scene.

Authorities quickly established a perimeter and used resources such as the OC Sheriff's patrol helicopter and search dogs in an attempt to locate the suspect, but these efforts were unsuccessful. A nearby elementary school was temporarily locked down due to the suspect's believed direction of travel during the search. Several items potentially linked to the robbery were found on a trail near the bank and are being examined by Crime Scene Investigators.

The suspect is described as male, between 5’6” and 5’10”, with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a bucket-style hat, black mask, yellow-hooded sweatshirt, tan pants, gloves, and carrying a silver revolver-style handgun.

Investigators urge anyone with information about this case to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 714-647-7000. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.