Authorities filed a criminal complaint July 1 against the man accused of robbing a Citibank branch on Arrow Highway June 30.
La Verne resident Tony Ursulo II, 61, is accused of using force, violence and intimidation to rob the Citibank, 401 E. Arrow Hwy., at gunpoint as he ordered four bank employees about the business, eventually stealing $21,064 before being arrested by police.
While the witness accounts provided by each victim differ slightly, we learned that Ursulo was inside the bank twice that morning. He entered the bank right after it opened and spoke with an employee about opening an account, but left after saying he needed to retrieve identification. He returned, but after waiting 10 minutes in the lobby, Ursulo left again.
According to an FBI affidavit provided to Glendora City News, Ursulo returned again, approached the branch manager at her desk and produced a .22 caliber handgun from a small black backpack. A second employee walked over to the branch manager after the branch manager questioned Ursulo’s actions, according to the affidavit.
An employee emerged from the break room, saw Usulo with the gun, hit the silent alarm and dialed 911.
Ursulo told both employees. “If you don’t want to die, you better let me in there.”
Ursulo then herded both employees to near the bank vault and demanded access to the teller area, but both employees said two keys were needed to access the teller area, but they only had one. The employee who emerged from the break room granted Ursulo access to the teller area where he demanded access to the safe, according to the affidavit.
After being told that they did not have the keys, Ursulo ordered the employees to find them. They fled through the main doors, the bank manager stayed behind, eventually running towards Glendora Police officers who directed the victims to a safe location, according to the affidavit.
A fourth bank employee was ordered to Ursulo to empty a money drawer at one of the teller stations and gave him the $21,064. Ursulo exited the bank and was soon taken into custody by Glendora Police officers.
Ursulo was held in lieu of $100,000 bail before being released from the Glendora Jail and transferred into federal custody July 2.
