The Irvine Police Department (IPD) arrested 21-year-old Ryan Ray Staples yesterday for a bank robbery at the Bank of America located at 4500 Barranca Pkwy.
On June 9, 2020, Irvine Police responded to the location at approximately 3:40 p.m. after receiving information of a silent robbery alarm activation inside the bank. A bank employee confirmed over the phone that a robbery had just occurred and advised the suspect passed a note to the teller demanding money. The teller stated no weapon was seen. The suspect left the bank with U.S. currency in a clear plastic bag.
Bank employees followed the suspect at a distance as he exited and were able to provide a detailed description. Officers responded to the area and located a male matching the suspect’s description walking in a business complex across the street from the bank. The male was detained and the stolen U.S. currency was recovered in the original plastic bag. The suspect had changed his clothes after leaving the bank. The discarded clothing was located in a trashcan in the same shopping center as the bank. No weapon was located.
Staples was arrested without incident and was booked at Orange County Jail (OCJ). The case was referred to the Orange County District Attorney’s office for prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) believes Staples may be responsible for other bank robberies, both inside and outside California. IPD and the FBI will handle the investigation jointly.
If you have information related to this case, please contact Detective John Sanders at (949)724-7233.