Bank of America Manager Kidnapped, Strapped to Would-Be Bomb, Told to Rob Workplace in East L.A.

@mpLASD

A bank manager was kidnapped by masked men, strapped to a would-be bomb, and sent into her Bank of America branch in unincorporated East L.A. this morning to get cash for her assailants, according to sheriff's officials and reports.

The device was detonated by an L.A. County Sheriff's Department bomb squad, and the woman was okay.

It all started ...

... last night when the woman was kidnapped at her home and held by the captives until morning, according to what authorities told City News Service.

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Then she was taken to the bank at 941 S. Atlantic Blvd. about 8:30 a.m. and told to grab some cash, which she did, according to authorities. She told coworkers what was happening, threw the money out the door as instructed, and then apparently waited as cops arrived, according to CNS.

Altantic / Verona East LAbank robbery kidnap possible explosive device was attached to bank mgr #LASD twitter.com/mpLASD/status/...

— Mike Parker (@mpLASD) September 5, 2012

When a bomb squad arrived it removed and detonated what appeared to be a pipe bomb -- about 9:45 a.m., officials said.

The FBI sent the Weekly this statement:

FBI Agents, including bomb technicians, have responded with Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators to a bank robbery at Bank of America, located at 941 S. Atlantic, East Los Angeles, before which a bank employee was allegedly kidnapped to carry out the robbery. A device left on the bank employee's person was rendered safe by a Sheriff's bomb squad and further investigation is ongoing, to include search for suspects.

It's not clear if the bomb was real, but it seems that it wasn't.

Deputy Guillermina Saldana told us the bomb squad was still there early this afternoon.

Frantic and scared, the victim was unharmed. Authorities appeared to be searching for two robbers.

[With reporting from City News Service / @dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]