SAN JOSE, Calif – Three suspects were arrested this week in what police are calling an end to a “Point Break” bank robbery team who entered four banks throughout the Santa Clara County area and took control of bank employees and customers in order to rob them.
32-year-old Daniel Chavez, 22-year-old Antonio Chavez and 24-year-old Jesse Hernandez were arrested in a series of charges with multiple counts of bank robbery, gun enhancements and false imprisonment for the purposes of benefiting a gang.
According to Sgt. Heather Randol with the San Jose Police Department, “Detectives are continuing the investigation to identify additional suspects and determine if these suspects are responsible for other bank robberies throughout the state”. Randol said, “Robbery Detectives from the San Jose Police Department, along with the assistance of Campbell Police Department and the FBI, conducted an extensive investigation into a crew dubbed POINT BREAK”.
Bank of America in Campbell, one of the armed robbery locations.
The three men are suspected of robbing one bank in Campbell, two in San Jose and one in Gilroy. The first of the robberies occurred at the US Bank on Aug. 14, 2013 on the 1900 block of South Bascom Avenue in Campbell. “Evidence developed in this case pointed to a Norteno street gang based out of Salinas, however, its members were spread out over several counties”, Randol said. The trio also struck a Chase Bank on Nov. 6, 2013, located on the 1100 block of First Street in Gilroy.
The gang appeared again after a three month hideout, striking a Wells Fargo Bank on Feb. 26 on the 100 block of Branham Lane, San Jose. Robbery detectives were tight-lipped about the gang’s movement, and gave the media few details about the robberies committed by the trio. The final robbery occurred on April 8 when the trio again robbed another Wells Fargo on the 1700 block of South Bascom Avenue, Campbell – just blocks from where they had first struck.
Sergeant Larry Day from the San Jose Police Department Robbery Unit said, “They were the most sophisticated crew of bank robbers we have seen in quite some time”. Day said, “Detectives from the Salinas and Campbell Police Departments were instrumental in assisting with the investigation”.
