Monday Morning Bank Robbery Investigation Underway

Updated DSP News Release #2:

Tuesday, September 01, 2009- Morning Bank Robbery Investigation Underway

Bear- In regards to yesterdays arrests in the Bear area bank robbery, the bail information is as follows:

Marvin Mencia- Committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institute in lieu of $308,000.00 cash only bail.

Olman Mencia- Committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institute in lieu of $308,000.00 cash only bail.

Jeffrey Johnson- Committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institute in lieu of $308,000.00 cash only bail.

Ciera Johnson- Committed to the Baylor Woman’s Correction Institute in lieu of $305,000.00 cash only bail.

Monday, August 31, 2009- Morning Bank Robbery Investigation Underway

Bear- To someone hearing about this incident who wasn’t there- it may have seemed like a comedy of errors, but it was no laughing matter.

At about 9:11 a.m. this morning two sets of New Jersey siblings responded to the Artisans Bank in Bear with plans of carrying out an armed robbery. The gang consisted of Marvin Mencia (22 years old of Philadelphia Avenue in Egg Harbor, New Jersey) and his brother Olman Mencia (21, of South Harrisburg Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey), Jeffrey Johnson (21, of Adriatic Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey) and his sister Ciara Johnson (20, also of Adriatic Avenue).

The four subjects pulled up to the bank in two cars- a Chevrolet Aveo and a Ford Focus. The three men donned wigs and entered the bank. Marvin and Olman were both armed with handguns. Once inside, the bandits duct taped two employees to restrain them and forced the remaining six into a bathroom. In the course of doing so, Marvin discharged his handgun into the ceiling- he later claimed that this was accidental.

The suspects then obtained a female employee from the bathroom and demanded she assist them in locating cash. The employee complied and the suspects obtained an undisclosed amount of money from the tills and the vault.

The three men then fled the bank and locked the doors behind them. Once outside, the robbers realized they had left their keys to the Aveo inside the bank. Because the doors were locked, they could not get back in to retrieve them. It was at this point the secondary get-away-car, the Ford Focus, driven by Ciara Johnson, pulled up to whisk them all away. They then fled the scene eastbound on Route 40.

A witness to the suspects fleeing the scene provided their vehicle description to 911 operators. State Police and New Castle County Police dispatch centers, both called RECOM, issued radio broadcasts with the Ford’s description to patrol officers. A New Castle County Police officer located the Focus in the area of the Route 13 / 40 split and a traffic stop ensued. The suspects were taken into custody without incident and transported back to Troop 2.

Each suspect was charged with the same offenses which are as follows: 6 counts of Robbery (felony), 8 counts of Kidnapping (felony), 3 counts of Aggravated Menacing (felony), Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (felony), Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number (felony), Wearing a Disguise during the Commission of a Felony (felony) and Conspiracy 2nd (felony).

The money and the firearms were recovered in this investigation. No employees were injured.

Bail information was not available at the time of this release. Mug shots will not be available until tomorrow.