SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Prosecutors dismissed charges against accused a man accused of participating in last year’s robbery of $390,000 from Bay FCU, one of the biggest bank robberies in the nation the past few years.
Charges were dismissed against Michael Escobar but prosecutors said they plan to refile charges once a larger investigation is complete into the role of a street gang Escobar is alleged to belong to. Escobar was arrested Sept. 12 on charges of gang participation and robbery with gang and gun enhancements.
A trial was set for October, but Monterey County sheriff's deputies and the FBI are probing Escobar in a larger investigation. Santa Cruz County prosecutors cannot proceed with their trial until the Monterey and federal investigations are complete, authorities said.
In the Bay Federal robbery, police said Escobar waved a gun and he and another man stole at least $390,000 in cash, the largest bank heist in city history.
