Using Public Transit To Make Your Getaway Doesn't Usually Work

A bank robber escaped from a Chinatown heist into BART's underground tunnels, forcing part of the system to shutdown for four hours.

1 minute read

November 17, 2004, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"Although bank robbers often use public transit when attempting to flee, Monday's escape was the first time in recent memory that a suspect appeared to roam through BART's underground tunnels, spokesman Linton Johnson said.

Public transportation -- including BART trains, taxis and buses -- has long been a popular mode of attempted escape by bank robbers. On Oct. 15, Darius Shadzad, 34, tried to escape on BART after robbing a downtown Berkeley bank but was foiled after a dye-pack exploded in the station, police said. Instead, he was arrested on an AC Transit bus.

'Bad guys trying to use BART as an escape tool almost always get caught,' Johnson said. 'If they get on the train, they're trapped. We can stop the train.' "

Thanks to Chris Steins

Read the full story: Bank robber hunted in BART tunnels

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 in The San Francisco Chronicle

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