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'Tri-Cities Bandit' Arrested After Allegedly Robbing 10th Bank

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say they have arrested the so-called Tri-Cities Bandit after he allegedly robbed a tenth bank in Southern California.

Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Mark Bock says 39-year-old Ernest Viana and an accomplice were pulled over Friday by a deputy who spotted a vehicle matching the description of a car that fled after an unarmed robbery of a First California Bank in Westlake Village.

Viana and 42-year-old Oleg Gorokhovsky, the suspected getaway driver, surrendered and were taken to jail. Bock says cash and other evidence were found in the car.

The FBI named him the Tri-Cities Bandit after he was initially linked to bank robberies in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

During the robberies, the bandit entered the bank and approached the teller demanding money in large denominations.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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