According to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, police have detained a man and a woman who are suspected of committing over ten bank robberies in Oregon and Washington.
Amira Askew, 28, and Andrew Bekman, 31, are accused with first-degree robbery.
Detectives believe Bekman and Askew robbed the Umpqua Bank in Salmon Creek on November 6th, according to the sheriff’s office, and they suspect them of being involved in additional bank robberies in the Vancouver/Portland metro area since June 2024.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, Bekman and Askew admitted to the Umpqua Bank heist after being taken into custody, along with a number of other people.
A guy and a woman in masks stormed into the Umpqua Bank office on November 6 and demanded money, with the man allegedly brandishing a gun.
The sheriff’s office said that at around 9:30 on Wednesday morning, sheriff’s deputies, Portland and Vancouver police officers, and the Southwest Regional SWAT Team executed a search warrant at a residence in Battle Ground based on information from a tipster.
According to the sheriff’s office, detectives searching the house discovered firearms, bulletproof vests, and clothing that seemed to be the same as what the thieves had worn during some of the thefts.
Additionally, investigators found a note that said, “This is a robbery.” I’m armed. Empty your till.
— [email protected]; The Oregonian/OregonLive
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