Man, 83, tricked into driving getaway car in Calif. bank robbery

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Gail Castle

/ CBS Sacramento

(CBS) MANTECA, Calif. - A Northern California woman is accused of tricking an 83-year-old man man into being her getaway driver in a bank robbery, after claiming she wanted to buy his car, CBS Sacramento reports.

According to the station, Gail Castle came knocking on the man's door a few weeks ago and said she wanted to buy the vehicle, which wasn't even up for sale. To seal the deal, Castle reportedly asked the man to give her a lift to the Bank of America in downtown Manteca, Calif.

While Castle left the man waiting in the car, she allegedly robbed the bank. The man told CBS Sacramento what Castle did next.

"She kind of pulled the top of her purse open...and leaned it toward me and said, 'well I got the money.'"

The elderly man told CBS Sacramento he later found out Castle had slipped a note to the bank teller and demanded money.

Castle left the bank with about $2,000 in stolen cash, according to the station.

After a short drive away from the bank, the man realized something was wrong.

"She says 'don't open the door, I got a gun,'" he said.

Officers swarmed the car just a few feet from his driveway and with his hands up, the elderly man surrendered.

It didn't take long for police to realize the man was the victim, and they quickly cuffed Castle, the station reports.

She was due to appear before a judge Tuesday.

2 Comments +

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by enlightenu January 30, 2013 12:45 PM EST

What? The cops didn't shoot or at least taser him first? Something is fishy here, since they didn't follow the new standard procedure.

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by tuckermt83 January 30, 2013 1:38 PM EST: Why would they shoot first if they don't even know if he's a threat yet? Now does that make sense? As officers you do not shoot first and ask questions later. If they would have shot first they would have killed an innocent man!!!!!