HOMES EVACUATED IN ROLANDO; SWAT TEAM CALLED IN ON SEARCH FOR ARMED BANK ROBBERS

Update October 31, 10:20 a.m. -- The SWAT action has ended and a second suspect was taken into custody half an hour ago, Sgt. Randy Levitt has informed East County Magazine. The suspect's name and details of the arrest have not yet been released.

Exclusive! View our video of the SWAT team arriving on scene.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Dennis Richardson

October 30, 2010 8:35 p.m.  (La Mesa) -- A stand-off continues tonight as police continue searching for a bank robbery suspect believed to be hiding in the Rolando neighborhood.  A second suspect, Davan Darden, 23, was arrested at 5:45 this evening.  The area remains evacuated, according to Officer Stafford, San Diego Police.

Two robbers conducted a takeover-style robbery at the California Coast Credit Union in the Vons Center on La Mesa Boulevard around 2 p.m., San Diego Police report, prompting a chase through San Diego, La Mesa and El Cajon.

The suspects' vehicle was located on Mataro Drive, unoccupied.  The suspect fled behind Clay Elementary School but was soon spotted at the intersection of Catherine Avenue and Stanley Avenue by an SDPD officer. The suspect jumped a fence with the officer in pursuit. 

The officer ordered the suspect to stop and place his hands in the air. The suspect complied, then turned and reached for his waistband.  Fearing the suspet was reaching for a handgun, the officer fired seeral rounds, reports Lt. Kevin Rooney in the SDPD homicide unit, which is investigating the incident.  The suspect was not struck by the officer's rounds.

 Police set up a perimeter and evacuated residents of Seminole, Catherine Avenue, Acorn Street and Stanley around 2:30 p.m. and used a helicopter to monitor the movements of the suspects during the pursuit. Canine units and the SWAT team also conducted a meticulous search of the area, finding Darden hiding inside a garage.

La Mesa Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the robbery.

The officer involved in the shooting has 30 years of law enforcement experience and has been with SDPD for one year.