FRESNO – A man accused of wearing a black and white wrestling mask while robbing a bank in March was arrested last week by the Fresno Sheriff’s Office.
The robbery took place on March 9 at the Westamerica Bank in Easton. At approximately 3 p.m., a suspect walked into the bank wearing a black and white mask that covered the top of his face. The mask, described by the sheriff’s office as “similar to what you might see in a Spanish wrestling league,” had a wig attached to it.
The suspect placed a handgun on the counter and told the teller to put money into the duffle bag he had carried into the bank. The teller complied and the robber left, running northwest toward a field. A sheriff’s helicopter and patrol deputies on the ground searched for the suspect, but were unable to find him.
Four employees and one customer were inside during the robbery, but nobody was injured, the sheriff’s office said.
An investigation, which included surveillance video of the suspect taken inside the bank, led detectives to identify 49-year-old Lewis Duncan Tyler of Fresno as a suspect in the case. Detectives took him into custody and recovered a gun, which they believe was the weapon used during the robbery.
