Police arrested a 34-year-old man Tuesday, Dec. 1 in connection with that day’s robbery of the AmericanWest bank at 1850 E. Isaacs Avenue after a witness was able to provide them the license plate number of the minivan he was driving.
Gabriel Cantu Leija of 613 Fern Avenue was taken into custody about 1:30 p.m. after SWAT team members raided his house, and is being held at the Walla Walla County Jail on accusation of first-degree robbery, The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports.
The robbery occurred about 10:40 a.m. and resulted in the lock-down of four local schools, including Edison Elementary, Berney Elementary, Sharpstein Elementary and Pioneer Middle School. Police say Leija entered the bank with a fake gun and demanded money, leaving with more than $1,300.
