Suspected Bank Robber Causes Tangle In Temecula

A 54-year-old woman suspected of robbing a bank in Temecula was behind bars today after her arrest at the end of a high-speed chase, authorities said.

Linda Marie Gothan of Wildomar is suspected of walking into the U.S. Bank branch in the 29500 block of Ynez Road wearing sunglasses and a wig, handing a teller a note demanding money and then fleeing on foot with an undisclosed sum, said Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Kevin McDonald.

A witness provided a description of a possible getaway vehicle, which deputies located as it headed south on Ynez Road from Rancho California Road with two people inside, McDonald said. Deputies tried to pull the vehicle over, but it continued south on Ynez at a high rate of speed, he said.

The vehicle crashed and rolled over at the intersection of Ynez and La Paz roads, at which point a male tried to crawl out out and run away, McDonald said.

A service dog was used to take him into custody, he said, adding that the suspect was taken to a hospital, where he was admitted for treatment of dog bites and minor crash-related injuries.

The man's possible role in the bank robbery was under investigation, McDonald said.

Gothan, meanwhile, was taken into custody without incident and sent to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries suffered in the crash, he said.

She was later booked into the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley on suspicion of robbery and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail with a court date set for Friday, according to the sheriff's department.

Anyone with information about the robbery was urged to contact the case investigator at (951) 696-3000.  --City News Service