Police Chase Down Suspect in Pacific Western Bank Heist

A day after turning 22, Douglas Miller of San Diego is sitting in a San Diego jail—accused of robbing the Pacific Western Bank in the La Mesa Springs/Vons shopping center about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Miller—listed in jail records as 6-feet-1 and 215 pounds—allegedly used a demand note in the incident, and was arrested a short time later after a short foot chase, police said.

After a teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber, who claimed to be carrying a concealed gun, left the bank and ran off toward a nearby trolley station, according to La Mesa police.

Patrol officers searching the area found a man matching the thief's description near the transit depot.

When they tried to contact the suspect later identified as Miller, he bolted but was soon captured, police said.

Miller, who was unarmed at the time of his arrest, was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of robbery.

The stolen money was recovered, police said.

It was the second robbery of the 7900 La Mesa Blvd. bank branch in three months. The same office was hit Jan. 25, when a lone robber entered the bank and handed a teller a demand note but showed no weapon. The man was described as a black male adult in his early 20s, about 5-foot-10, 200 pounds.

City News Service contributed to this report.