Good detective work and help from a concerned citizen led to the arrest of a bank robbery suspect in Ocean Beach on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006, said SDPD Lt. Lawrence McKinney.
At about 4:55 p.m., police said Sean Joel Nesmith, 23, walked into the Bank of America at 1275 Rosecrans St. and handed a note to the teller demanding cash. After taking the money, the suspect ran out of the bank and jumped into a black SUV, according to police.
The commotion attracted the attention of a witness, who subsequently followed the suspect’s vehicle for several blocks, collecting information about the suspect and vehicle.
The witness, McKinney said, returned to the bank and reported the crucial information to police, who were already on the scene. Police detectives worked quickly with the information and tracked down the registered owner, address and possible hangouts of the suspect.
The trail led authorities to an apartment building on the 4800 block of Niagara, where a suspect who matched the description of the man “” white, slender build with “alfalfa” style hair “” was arrested and subsequently identified by witnesses, McKinney said, adding that Nesmith confessed to the robbery while detained in the back of the police vehicle.
“Citizen and public awareness was the turning point,” he added. “The tenacity of the police and great detective work put it together.”
According to police, neighbors at the apartment building where the suspect was arrested said the man had been living there for less than a year.