Kingman police reported that a second suspect was arrested Tuesday in connection with Monday's bank robbery in which the first suspect was shot and hospitalized. The incident began at Mission Bank in the 2400 block of Hualapai Mountain Road.
Police responded early Monday morning, February 26, to a report of an armed man fleeing a bank robbery. Witnesses said the fleeing suspect jumped into a gray truck and was later spotted in the 2500 block of Kingman Avenue outside Andy. Developer Avenue, minutes away and over a mile away from the bank.
Police Chief Rusty Cooper said one of the suspects was inside the Napa Auto Parts store when, surprisingly, arriving officers encountered the other suspect, who was in possession of a weapon, and outside. He said he called a taxi and fled the scene within the same amount of time as the shooting. Mario Fragassi, 53, of Golden Valley, reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was in critical condition as he was taken to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment after the 11:10 a.m. shooting. It is said that it became.
After reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses, including bank customers, Christopher Ayala was arrested without incident Tuesday in the 2300 block of Russ Avenue. Cooper said Ayala, 48, is from Olivehurst, Calif., and his relationship to Fragassi is unclear.
“Investigators determined that while Ayala remained in the parked truck, Fragassi entered the bank, brandished a handgun, and demanded cash from the teller. Fragassi stole money,” Cooper said. He then ran out of the bank with $1,715 in cash and fled.” This is a truck driven by Ayala. ”
Officers reportedly recovered all the cash taken in the bank robbery from Fragassi. Both suspects are charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.
The Lake Havasu Police Department is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, which is standard procedure in cases involving officers.
