Police Believe Man Arrested in Brea May Be 'Quad Bandit' who Hit Cerritos Bank

A 47-year-old man arrested after allegedly robbing a Bank of the West branch in Brea is suspected to be the “Quad Bandit,” who was wanted in connection with nine previous bank robberies or attempts, including Cerritos, authorities said today.

Jonathan Oechsle of Anaheim was arrested after officers were dispatched around 3:50 p.m. Thursday to 311 S. State College Blvd. to investigate a report of a bank robbery that had just occurred, said Brea police Lt. Darrin Devereux.

“The suspect used a note during the robbery and was seen leaving the area in a silver Chevrolet Cavalier,” Devereux said.

A description of the suspect was broadcast and Fullerton police officers spotted the vehicle in the area of State College Boulevard and Chapman Avenue, Devereux said.

“When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect initially appeared to be pulling over, but then sped away,” Devereux said.

The officers chased Oechsle for about two miles until he crashed his vehicle into a curb in the 1600 block of Skyline Drive and surrendered, according to Devereux.

Oechsle is also suspected of robbing a Union Bank branch in Anaheim Hills on July 23, Laura Eimiller of the FBI said.

According to the FBI, other robberies or attempts attributed to Oechsle include:

-- the robbery of a Chase branch and attempted robberies of another Chase branches and branches of Wells Fargo and Bank of America -- all in Buena Park -- on March 22;

-- the June 16 robbery of a Chase branch and the attempted robbery of a Wells Fargo branch, both in Cerritos, on June 16;

--the robbery of a U.S. Bank branch in La Habra on July 3; and

--the robbery of an Opus Bank branch in Anaheim on July 15.

“Oechsle was charged today in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and had an initial appearance before a federal magistrate this afternoon in Santa Ana. He was remanded to federal custody pending trial,” Eimiller said.

--City News Service

PHOTO Courtesy the FBI.