Southern California Police Issue Warning After Arresting Three Men in Irvine
The Irvine Police Department has recently arrested three men in the city of Irvine, Southern California, and is alerting the public to be cautious of a new type of crime.
According to a statement posted on social media platform X by the Irvine Police Department on July 10, detectives apprehended three men aged between 20 and 24 from Texas on July 8 on suspicion of being involved in two cases of theft from vehicles in the area. Authorities believe these thefts may be linked to a criminal pattern known as “Bank Jugging.”
Police explained that this is a nationwide trend where criminals monitor banks, observe customers withdrawing cash, follow them to their next destination, and then break into their vehicles to steal the cash.
On July 2, while investigating two cases of theft from vehicles, Irvine police discovered that the victims had just withdrawn cash from a bank. With the assistance of the city’s crime monitoring center, detectives identified a black Ford Expedition SUV that was hanging stolen license plates. Further investigation revealed that the driver of this vehicle had visited multiple banks in Orange County, possibly scouting for targets.
In Seal Beach, after a customer completed a bank transaction, the suspects broke into the customer’s vehicle and stole a banker’s bag. Police immediately stopped the vehicle and arrested the three suspects inside. Upon searching the vehicle, detectives found a stolen banker’s bag, a fake license plate, burglary tools, a ski mask, and cash.
Authorities are still investigating whether the three men were involved in the two theft cases in Irvine on July 2. The three individuals held at the Orange County Jail are facing charges including conspiracy, theft from vehicles, felony vandalism, possession of burglary tools and stolen property.
In a social media post, the police department reminded all bank customers to be discreet when withdrawing cash and to always be aware of their surroundings. They advised individuals to go to a safe location immediately after withdrawing cash.
Pacific Premier Bank headquartered in Irvine also cautioned ATM users to be vigilant, cover the keypad when withdrawing money, and handle receipts properly. They recommended changing withdrawal locations and times frequently to avoid establishing predictable routines.
Police are urging anyone with information to contact the Irvine Police Department detectives to provide relevant information.