Woman Arrested After Temecula Bank Robbery, Car Chase

A Wildomar woman was arrested on suspicion of bank robbery in Temecula following a car chase and crash, police said today.

According to the Temecula Police Department, officers responded to the report of a robbery at the U.S. Bank in the 29500 block of Ynez Road at 5:46 p.m. Tuesday. Police said a white female wearing sunglasses and a wig approached the teller and presented a note demanding money. The teller gave the female an undisclosed amount of money and the female left the bank on foot.

Following a description of the suspect vehicle provided by a witness, responding officers quickly located the vehicle driving south on Ynez Road from Rancho California Road. The officers also saw the vehicle was occupied by two suspects at that time.

Officers attempted to stop the suspect, but the vehicle drove south on Ynez Road at a high rate of speed. The suspect lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over and crashed at Ynez Road and La Paz Road. A male suspect tried to crawl out of the vehicle and run away but was apprehended with the help of a police dog.

Linda Marie Gothan, 54, was taken into custody without incident and sent to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries from the traffic collision. The male suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment of multiple dog bites and minor injuries from the traffic collision. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Gothan was booked into the Southwest Detention Center for robbery. The investigation is continuing to determine what role the male subject played in this incident. He remains admitted to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encourage to contact Investigator Dickey at the Temecula Police Department at 951-696-3000.