Man, woman arrested on suspicion of slew of bank robberies done across SoCal

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A bank robbery suspect and a suspected getaway driver were charged in connection to a slew of bank robberies done around the Southland.

Authorities said a man and woman are suspected of several bank robberies that occurred in Burbank, Newhall, Valencia, Pico Rivera, Orange and an attempted one in Van Nuys. The string of robberies started in March, according to authorities, and spanned about two months before they were caught.

In Burbank, two U.S. Bank locations were robbed. The first happened around 3:40 p.m. on April 20 as a man entered the branch at 1720 W. Olive Ave. The man gave the teller a note demanding money. A witness inside the bank tried to detain the suspect, but failed, authorities said.

Detectives learned the suspect was armed with a pellet gun that looked like a real handgun and it was left at the scene.

Around 2:15 p.m. on April 30, that same suspect robbed a U.S. Bank branch at 240 N. San Fernando Blvd., authorities said.

Investigators began looking into those cases and learned from other agencies that same suspect was responsible for other robberies around Southern California.

Evidence from the first Burbank robbery led authorities to the suspect's identity - 27-year-old James Hamill, of Valencia. Authorities said he also had an accomplice who was suspected of being the getaway driver in at least one of the robberies. She was identified as 22-year-old Samantha Yaworski, of Valencia.

On May 2, arrest warrants were issued for Hamill and Yaworski. On Friday, they were arrested by Los Angeles police after they had gone into a U.S. Bank in North Hollywood.

On Monday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Hamill with six counts of robbery and two counts of attempted robbery. He remains in custody in lieu of $400,000 bail.

Yaworski was charged with one count of attempted robbery and remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.