A 64-year-old Napa man — suspected in 17 bank robberies in California and Utah, including the robbery of a Menlo Park credit union on Dec. 10 — was arrested Dec. 12 just north of Sacramento, a FBI spokesman said.
Arthur Eli Cheney was arrested by a California Highway Patrol officer at around 4:18 p.m. when the officer spotted a 2002 silver Mercedes CL500 traveling north on state Route 70 just south of Marysville.
CHP officer Rick Barnett said the vehicle matched the description the FBI had released on the so-called Highway 101 bank robber, who was given that name because many of the robberies took place in towns along U.S. 101.
The officer pulled the Mercedes over and took Mr. Cheney into custody.
The Menlo Park robbery occurred at the Provident Credit Union branch on downtown Santa Cruz Avenue around 1:35 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, when a man handed a bank teller a note demanding money, and escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash, said Nicole Acker, spokesperson for the Menlo Park Police Department.
The suspect was described as a white man with gray hair and a moustache, wearing aviator glasses and a black leather jacket. His description matches that of a suspect in other bank robberies across California, Ms. Acker said.
The most recent robbery he is thought to be responsible for occurred the day he was arrested — Dec. 12 — in Fairfield. Other Bay Area robberies where he is the suspect were in Palo Alto, Belmont, Burlingame, San Jose and Corte Madera.
The FBI field office in San Francisco will be in charge of prosecuting the suspect, said FBI Spokesman Joseph Schadler.
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