SANTA ROSA – On Tuesday, July 12 just before 2 pm, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers received a 911 call from a person calling to report that the Chase Bank in the Town of Windsor had been robbed by masked gunmen. Another caller reported that the guard from the armored car company had been shot, and a dark colored SUV was seen speeding away.
Deputies arrived within two minutes. They found one adult male, an armored car employee, who had suffered a gunshot wound.
Officers learned that a car approached the armored truck when it stopped at the bank. Two men got out and confronted the guards and started shooting. They fled with an undetermined amount of money and then got into another car and made their getaway.
Neighboring law enforcement agencies were immediately contacted to ‘Be On The Lookout’ for the car containing the armed and dangerous suspects. Residents of Windsor were also alerted and advised to avoid the area of the Lakewood Shopping Center. Businesses there were also locked down.
As people learned of the crime, many tips came in from people in the area. Detectives from our Violent Crimes, CSI, Narcotics, Property Crimes and other investigations units responded and began interviewing witnesses and processing evidence. Agents from the FBI also came to the scene, as is protocol in bank robberies.
Meanwhile, an observant officer from the Calistoga Police Department saw a car that matched the description containing the suspects.
The car the two suspects were riding in was rammed by the Calistoga PD officer. The first suspect they apprehended is identified as Serge Gutsu, a 24 year old man from Antelope. Gutsu suffered some injuries and was taken to a hospital after he was arrested. He was released and transported to Sonoma County.
The second is identified as Ivan Morales, a 23-year-old man from Lakeport. After temporarily being on the run, he was found by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Deputy while hiding in a brushy culvert in a rural area in the vicinity of the crash.
He was not injured and immediately surrendered, was arrested without incident and transported to Sonoma County. The guard from the armored car company has not been released from the hospital.
