Individual Arrested for Armed Robbery

SAN JUAN—Today, United States Magistrate Judge Sylvia Carreño-Coll authorized a criminal complaint against Julio Pérez-Jiménez for interference with commerce by robbery and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.

According to the information contained in the affidavit submitted in support of the criminal complaint, on April 26, 2012, Willie Díaz-Carrión and Julio Pérez-Jiménez went to the Banco Popular in Plaza Río Hondo Shopping Mall, Bayamón, Puerto Rico in a 2007 white Toyota Yaris and committed a robbery at the bank.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., one of the suspects in the Toyota Yaris approached a male courier (hereinafter identified as Victim A), who was going to Banco Popular in order to deposit checks and money on behalf of a business. As Victim A approached the front door of the bank, carrying an envelope that contained $25,292.88 in checks and cash, the suspect came up to him wielding a weapon, grabbed him by the neck, and demanded that Victim A give him the envelope he was carrying.

The suspect was described as carrying a large pistol and wearing a mask covering his nose and mouth and a baseball cap. Victim A began to fight with the suspect, who then hit Victim A on the head with his gun two or three times. Victim A dropped the envelope on the ground, and the suspect then grabbed the envelope and ran to the Toyota Yaris. The other suspect remained inside the Toyota Yaris. Upon further investigation it was determined that the two individuals who committed the armed robbery were Willie Díaz-Carrión and Julio Pérez-Jiménez. Díaz-Carrión was arrested on April 27, one day after the robbery, and was indicted by a grand jury on May 10, 2012.

The incident was witnessed by a special agent with the FBI (hereinafter FBI agent). As the suspects attempted to flee, the FBI agent identified himself as a federal agent. Gunfire was then exchanged between the suspect, who approached Victim A and the FBI agent. Another male individual (hereinafter identified as Victim B) was in the parking lot of Banco Popular driving a Jeep Cherokee. Victim B observed the gun shots and abandoned his car to protect himself from getting hit by a stray bullet. During the suspects’ attempt to flee the scene in the Toyota Yaris, they crashed into Victim B’s car. Victim B fell to the ground and the suspects ran over his body with the Toyota Yaris and pushed Victim B’s vehicle backwards until it hit a sidewalk/ramp. The suspects then fled the scene.

“I commend the law enforcement agents and detectives for their persistence and efforts in solving this crime,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will zealously prosecute these defendants, who completely disregarded the safety of innocent bystanders as they perpetrated this armed robbery during business hours in a busy commercial area.”

“The arrest of Julio Pérez-Jiménez demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to using all available and appropriate methods to apprehend individuals who are a danger to the citizens of Puerto Rico. Those who would assault innocent persons and law enforcement officers will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law,” said Joseph Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-San Juan Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorney José Contreras is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for the robbery and a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment for using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. A criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.