It didn't take long for convicted bank robber Arthur Taylor to go back to his old ways. After finishing a 20-year sentence for the crime, he enjoyed all but 8 days in freedom a before walking into a Bank of the West branch in Anaheim on January 10 with a special note for the teller: “ROBBERY GIVE MONEY HAVE GUN NOW.”
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Luckily for Taylor, the teller had $3,905 all set to deposit. He exited the bank at around 1:15 p.m. Richard Brieger waited outside in a getaway car. The two men sped off in a white Honda Civic. According to a report by the Orange County District Attorney's (OCDA) office, witnesses of the bank robbery began tailing the car and called the Anaheim police department.
By the time APD joined the chase at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Sunkist Street, Brieger was driving at least 90 mph. The police followed for about 30 minutes until the driver nearly struck a pedestrian and crashed into a signal pole off La Palma Avenue and Crosby Way.
Anaheim police immediately attended to the two men in the totaled car, neither of whom were apparently wearing seat belts. By the time the Anaheim Fire Department arrived at the scene, Taylor was unconscious, in cardiac arrest and bleeding profusely from his mouth.
An ambulance whisked him away the UCI Medical Center in Orange. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, a doctor pronounced Taylor brain dead two days later. He was taken off life support on January 13 and died at the age of 49. Brieger, Taylor's accomplice, died the day of the crash at Santa Ana's Western Medical Center.
In their investigation, the OCDA saw no wrongdoing by Anaheim police in the deadly pursuit and cleared all officers accordingly.
As always, read the report in its entirety online.
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Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!