The Twin Falls Police Department booked two suspects at the Twin Falls County Jail on Thursday, Nov. 20 on charges related to the armed robbery of a bank in Twin Falls.
Late Thursday, detectives concluded questioning of Shawn Douglas Smith, 19, of Ketchum, and Juan Alberto Loredo, 22, of Salinas, California, and charged both individuals with robbery of a bank and aggravated assault with a weapon. Additionally, Loredo was charged with felony eluding and Smith was charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm.
Both men will be arraigned at the Twin Falls County Courthouse at approximately 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.
At approximately 10:55 a.m. Twin Falls Police were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery at the First Federal Savings Bank located at 886 Blue Lakes Boulevard North. According to witnesses, two men entered the bank and displayed firearms before demanding money. Both men were wearing hoodie style sweatshirts and handkerchiefs to cover their faces. The two men were seen leaving the bank on bicycles, which they used to reach a vehicle waiting for them nearby.
Police immediately set up a perimeter and located the vehicle fleeing eastbound on Falls Avenue. The suspects turned northbound on Madrona Street before turning west onto Galena Drive and then through a park area of the Brookfield Subdivision. During the pursuit, the suspects damaged fences and other property in the Brookfield Subdivision. The suspects then drove into the parking lot of Lowe’s Home Improvement located at 1350 Blue Lakes Boulevard North, where one of the suspects fled the vehicle on foot.
Officers surrounded the suspect and detained him – less than 10 minutes after the bank robbery. Police found a handgun and an undisclosed amount of cash on the suspect.
Officers with the Twin Falls Police Department, with the assistance of the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho State Police, pursued the second suspect who continued driving the vehicle toward Lawndale Drive. The suspect later fled the vehicle on foot into a nearby residence, which law officers immediately surrounded. After determining that the homeowner was not inside the home at the time, and then attempted to speak with the suspect who was hiding in the residence.
Officers entered the home and removed the second suspect at approximately 12:21 p.m. without incident. During the pursuit, Twin Falls Police retrieved a modified shotgun that was believed to have been used in the robbery. Police also worked with the Twin Falls School District and daycare facilities to lockdown campuses during the pursuit.
The case is still under investigation and detectives are still questioning the suspects at this time. Names and photos of the suspects will be released as soon as charges are filed with the court.
Anyone with additional information about the robbery, or who may have had property damaged by the suspects during the pursuit, are encouraged to contact the Twin Falls Police Department at 735-4357.