February 4, 2024 - Merced County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Friday, January 26th, the Sheriff's Office responded to a robbery in progress at the West America Bank in Hilmar. The suspect fled the scene before the Deputies arrived. Our Investigations Bureau, with the help of the Turlock Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office, identified Jose Elizalde as the suspect.
On February 1, MCSO Detectives, and our Supervised Release Team, alongside the Turlock Police Department and the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office, executed search warrants at two separate residences. They located various items linking Elizalde to the West America bank robbery.
Elizalde was taken into custody and booked into the Merced County Jail for first-degree robbery and other related charges. We'd like to thank the allied agencies who assisted us in this investigation. Great job by all involved!
Source: Merced County Sheriff's Office
