On Thursday, February 20, 2020, at about 3:35 PM, Lafayette and Walnut Creek Police arrested 41-year-old Brendan Gray at his home in Alamo. Gray is a suspect in a series of recent bank robberies that occurred in Contra Costa County.
On February 19, 2020, at about 3:46 PM, a bank robbery happened at the Wells Fargo Bank on the 3600 block of Mt. Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette. During the investigation, Detectives determined that robbery was connected to one that occurred at the Wells Fargo Bank on Moraga Way in Orinda on February 12, 2020, and at a Wells Fargo Bank in Walnut Creek on February 1, 2020.
Lafayette Police Detectives, assisted by Danville Police, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, and Walnut Creek Police were able to identify a suspect vehicle and identify Brendan Gray as the suspect in the robberies.
An arrest warrant was obtained and with the assistance of Walnut Creek PD, Gray was taken into custody without incident. Gray was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on three counts of first degree robbery. He is being held in lieu of $300,000 bail.
The Lafayette Police Department is asking anyone with additional information regarding these cases to contact Detectives at (925) 283-3680 or (925) 299-3234 or email Sergeant Rossberg at tross@so.cccounty.us. Tips could also be emailed to the Lafayette Police Department at: 94549TIP@gmail.com
Description from prior robbery: “The man, described as an Hispanic male wearing a black hat, black sweatshirt and pants walked into the bank at approximately 3:45 p.m.”
I guess you could say we was very loyal to Wells Fargo bank.
An increase in green fees? A couple more branches and he could’ve made bail. Is “XX” a 2XL?
Boy does this support my previous posts about the efficacy of using Hispanic as a descriptor. I would like to see 24/680 explain how they can keep regurgitating this trope from law enforcement.
Richard – we weren’t there when the bank was robbed. The teller(s) gave a description to police. We’re not in any position to have challenged the description they gave. If that supports some perceived regurgitative effect in your eyes, then so it shall have to be. Having done this for many, far too many years, we have seen suspect descriptions swing wildly as the person involved is generally shaken to begin with.
Tell me what stereotypical features I am looking for when I am looking for Hispanic. Light skin or dark? Yes. Physical features of indigenous peoples of south or central America or Mexico or European looking? Yes. Brown eyes or blue? Yes. Speaks Spanish? Maybe yes, maybe no. Hispanic kids in this country don’t all speak Spanish. Non-Hispanics sometimes speak Spanish. What do you think you are conveying when you repeat this disinformation. What do YOU think it means? Please explain what I am supposed to be looking for. Shouldn’t you distinguish in your reporting between factually-based descriptions and those that are misleading or useless? If your answer is “we just report the description”, you share in perpetuating this fallacy.
Obviously, this is a discussion/argument we’re destined to lose in the eyes of those committed to the idea that we have sold ourselves as propagandists and as the mouthpiece for the police. Of course, there are a number of local agencies who would scoff at that notion (though we’re certain they’re enjoying seeing your incoming jabs at our expense). You don’t have to go far on our pages to see how the subject of race riles people, it’s a certainty we have addressed here many times and are certain we’ll see again.
Hindsight is always a crystal clear 20/20 —-
“having done this for for many, far too many years” is telling. You don’t have to call out ethnicity in crimes. You choose to. And that call out was wrong here.
Believe we asked you how you would have done it differently…
Be aware of a man wearing a black hat and other dark clothes. thats half the population on any day downtown.
How would I have done it differently? I would not have introduced Hispanic as the description of the perp as it introduces stereotypes that are misleading. Can there be a better example than this case???
Ah. Sounds perfectly sensible.
So, THAT’s what Hispanic looks like. And I thought it was just a useless descriptor.
So what if the teller got the suspects race wrong. Nine times out of ten the height and weight are probably wrong as well. It’s not like they measure and weigh in before they escape with the cash. Should we stop listing height, weight, etc. because it might offend someone?
Gender, race, height and weight (or build slim, heavy, etc.) will always be given. Deal with it. It’s reality, and if others don’t like it – too bad.
Whether it is offensive or not is beside the point. It is not predictive. “Hispanics” are a muddle of physical attributes. What was the hair color? skin color? Look at this guy’s face. Clear skin or blemishes? Tattoos, beard? There are cameras in ALL of those banks, and the police decide to go with bolo for “Hispanic”? What is that even intended to mean in terms of physical characteristics? How are we expected to make sense of such a broad description as “Hispanic”? White or black Hispanic? Why then don’t they provide a physical description or photo from one of the banks? If they don’t have information why go with disinformation? It’s not like they only have one witness, and they must quote him/her. There is no logic to this method.
He has very dark hair, and she probably thought he was Mexican. He/she was wrong. Get over it.
This sure put a stopper in the “I’m tired of outsiders coming here to steal from us-lets build a wall” crowd.
Yea — I could hear the “outsider” typists crashing to a stop when everyone realized he was from alamo.
Try this — stand in a room. Have someone you have never seen before come in and stand in front of you for two minutes. Then have them turn around and leave. Now describe them. Never mind the possibility they are waring a hoody or mask or sunglasses and a hat. Forget that they may have a gun or said they have one, and have just handed you a note saying to hand over the money OR ELSE. Let’s see how you do. Monday morning quarterbackering is easy when you are safe at home and in front of your computer.
For a small local news page this site certainly seems to get more than its share of criticisms and — apparently — Mexican food.
Ha! Yes, it all goes with the territory, Bob. But those Pasillas were a nice perk!
News24-680, please keep doing what you’re doing. The comment writers Richard and David seem intent on trying to provoke an argument about race, which is unrelated to the basic journalistic tenet that News24-680 has a responsibility to adhere to… i.e. reporting information as generated by official outlets (presumably the Sheriff’s Department or one of the local police departments involved). As you rightly said in your initial response… “Richard – we weren’t there when the bank was robbed. The teller(s) gave a description to police. We’re not in any position to have challenged the description they gave.”
Thanks, Gary – appreciate the post. And we have every intention of continuing to do what we do, understanding full well that not everyone is going to like what we have to say or the way we opt to say it. Be well…
Short – quick – memorable words are essential in police work as information is quickly relayed to other police officers in often split second conditions. To do otherwise is absurd is to lengthen the process and lessen the chance of a successful ending. Your second guessing is showing.
Drug habit. Gambling habit. Money problems. Which was it???