Bank robbery suspect nabbed after chase

A bank robbery suspect was arrested after leading police on a chase into the Midway District Saturday.

The robbery was reported about 1:45 p.m. at a Wells Fargo Bank on Balboa Avenue near Genesee Avenue in Clairemont. The robber wore a black mask, sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt during the heist, according to San Diego police. He simulated having a weapon and demanded cash, according to the FBI.

He fled with an unknown amount of money, which was embedded with a GPS tracker that police where able to follow. Officers determined the suspect’s vehicle. Officers, with help from a police helicopter above, followed it to the Midway District where the driver hopped between parking lots in heavy traffic.

At some point, the driver crashed into a patrol car, and later a second vehicle, police said.

The suspect eventually abandoned his vehicle and ran between cars on the Interstate 8 off-ramp at Sports Arena Boulevard. He was arrested shortly after.

The incident prompted the closure of the off-ramp and backed up traffic in the area for hours.