A spokesman for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said the robbery happened around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in the U.S. Bank branch in the Albertsons grocery store in the 39000 block of Winchester Road.
Apparently, the robbery occurred when the woman handed a bank teller a note demanding cash and implied that she had a weapon. The teller complied and the woman fled on foot after obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash.
No one was hurt in the incident and the Albertsons remained open even as investigators examined the U.S. Bank for clues.
So far, no one has been arrested in connection with the incident. Police have not yet released a description of the victim.
As criminal defense attorneys who often handle matters arising in and around Riverside County, we've become familiar with stories in which desperate circumstances prompt a person to commit an act that he or she never would have contemplated in a different situation.
Certainly it's never okay to rob a bank or embezzle money from one's employer, but sometimes, people do these things because they're struggling with a drug addiction, a gambling compulsion or some other problem. In some cases, people face huge financial pressures, like crippling medical debt, and allow their anxiety about their finances to cloud their judgment. Again, we are not saying these things are excuses, but rather potential explanations for some crimes.
If you or a loved one has been arrested for committing a crime in Temecula, Murrieta, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Corona or Riverside, it would be unwise to take the allegations lightly. We can help. Contact our office for a free and confidential consultation.