As of Tuesday evening when The Malibu Times went to print, the suspect was still at large. A $55,000 reward has been offered by the FBI, Wells Fargo and the county for information leading to his capture.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy was in critical condition Tuesday evening after a bank robbery suspect, according to the Sheriff’s Department, intentionally rammed his car into the deputy’s motorcycle Monday morning.
As of Tuesday evening, the suspect was still at large. He is described as a 6-foot to 6-foot-2-inch black male in his early 40s, then wearing a gray and blue Hawaiian shirt. He was driving a two-door Honda Accord that has damage on the right side of the vehicle. The car’s right-front tire was an under-sized spare, and the plates were made of paper with yellow writing.
According to a report issued by the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, the station received a call of a robbery in progress at the Wells Fargo in Cross Creek Plaza shortly after 11 a.m. The suspect was later spotted fleeing in his car, and Sheriff’s deputies pursued him eastbound on Pacific Coast Highway. Near the Big Rock Drive intersection on the highway, the suspect intentionally rammed his car into the motorcycle of Deputy Jim Mulay, according to the Malibu/Lost Hills report.
The collision caused Mulay’s motorcycle to hit a parked vehicle, Sgt. Phil Brooks said in an interview with a local television station on Monday. Mulay was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center shortly after the incident.
The Sheriff’s Department has not released any information about what happened with the suspect after the collision. Pictures of him from the alleged bank robbery have been distributed. Wells Fargo has offered $25,000 for information leading to the suspect’s capture. The FBI has offered an additional $20,000, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to add $10,000 to the total reward.
Because of the incident, traffic in the area was slowed for several hours as the eastbound lanes were closed into the late afternoon.
Anyone with information about the suspect or incident can call the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station at 310.456.6652.