Woman, Teen Arrested in String of Bank Robberies

Police said arrested a 16-year-old boy and a 43-year old woman on Wednesday after they tried to rob a bank — the latest in a in San Leandro and Oakland which police suspect are related.

officers arrested the two around 11 a.m. after chasing their car into Oakland following a robbery at on Washington Avenue, according to the police. Witnesses told officers they saw the young man get into the car after robbing the bank. 

After a pursuit, officers detained the woman, identified as Germaine Ramsey, in the car. The juvenile escaped on foot and officers detained him as he was trying to jump over a fence into a resident's back yard, according to police. 

The boy, whose name is not being released because he's a juvenile, was arrested on suspicion of robbing Bank of the West, and also the , which was robbed on June 1. He was also arrested on suspicion of attempting to rob on Lewelling Boulevard just 15 minutes before the Bank of the West robbery.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of aiding in the Bank of the West robbery,and in the Chase Bank attempted robbery, along with evading police.

The two suspects are not related, police said. 

In all three cases involving the 16-year-old, police said, the boy walked into the bank and presented a note to a teller demanding money. The teller at Chase refused to give him the money on Wednesday.  

Police suspect the youth was also involved in robbing on June 2, but are still collecting evidence. Police are also investigating this suspect's possible involvement with several other bank robberies and attempted robberies in Oakland in recent weeks. 

Police continue to investigate the possibility that other individuals may have been involved in the robberies.

Wednesday's incidents bring the number of bank robberies in San Leandro so far this year to six, plus at least one attempted robbery. Last year there were two bank robberies in San Leandro; in 2009 there were 11 bank robberies and two attempts, according to police.