Men Who Allegedly Robbed Las Cruces Bank Arrested Minutes After Heist
Within 15 minutes of receiving the report of an armed bank robbery, Las Cruces Police officers located, stopped and detained the two men believed to be responsible for the Friday morning heist.
Claudio Morales, 37, and Manuel Morales, 38, both of El Paso, are in police custody with charges pending, according to Las Cruces Police officials.
At around 10:36 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, Las Cruces Police were called to the report of a bank robbery at the Citizens’ Bank at 2841 N. Main St. Witnesses said a Hispanic man walked into the bank, displayed a black handgun and ordered everyone to the floor. The men then allegedly took an undisclosed amount of cash and ran to an awaiting car.
The man was seen leaving the area in a gray Ford Focus with Texas plates. Within just a few minutes, a Las Cruces Police officer heading northbound on Interstate 25 located a vehicle matching that description and traveling south on I-25. The officer made a U-turn and followed the vehicle as it exited I-25 and proceeded west onto University Avenue .
The officer called for backup and conducted a high-risk stop at a convenience store on the corner of University Avenue and Locust Street. Claudio and Manuel Morales were taken into custody without any further incident.
A black handgun and a bag containing cash were recovered from the floorboard of the Ford Focus. Detectives said they believe Claudio Morales is the one who entered the bank with the handgun. Las Cruces Police detectives and investigators from the FBI are continuing their investigation. Charges against the suspects are pending the outcome of the investigation.
