Three men were arrested after allegedly following an older man home from a bank and stealing a large amount of money from his vehicle in Camarillo, authorities said Wednesday.
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a vehicle burglary in progress in the 2200 block ofon of the suspects’ vehicle and pulled it over as it entered Highway 101
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Detectives with the Camarillo Investigations Bureau joined the investigation and identified the suspects as Tyson Hinton, 27, of Lancaster, and Quawun Williams, 33, and Malcolm Lockhard, 26, both of Long Beach.
Investigators said the victim had withdrawn a large amount of cash from a bank before driving home. The three suspects, who had allegedly been watching the victim, followed him from the bank to his residence without his knowledge, authorities said.
As the victim sat inside his vehicle in his driveway, one of the men opened the passenger-side door, got inside and stole the money, authorities said.
Surveillance video showed one suspect acting as a lookout while another served as the getaway driver during the theft, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Hinton, Williams and Lockhard were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime, grand theft and felony vandalism. All three were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility and were being held on $200,000 bail each, authorities said.
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The Sheriff’s Office said the crime is known as “bank jugging,” in which thieves target people withdrawing money from banks or ATMs and follow them to another location before stealing the money. In some cases, thieves break into unattended vehicles or confront victims directly.
Authorities offered the following tips to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of bank jugging:
- Be discreet when handling cash in public.
- Change your routine when visiting banks or ATMs to make your habits less predictable.
- Stay alert to your surroundings.
- Trust your instincts. If something appears suspicious or you believe you are being followed, leave the area and call 911.
- Put money away immediately after withdrawing it.
- Do not leave cash unattended in your vehicle.
