Letters to the Editor for August 1, 2009

Oakmont robbery – a kids-eye view

Dear Editors,

Were you stuck in traffic on July 7 from 5-8 p.m.? We were stuck less than 200 yards away from the deadly robbers. The thieves were two males who just robbed the Wells Fargo bank in Oakmont. They were armed and they went from the Oakmont bank to Danielli Rd. on Highway 12. That is the dusty old road we live on.

Then one of them tried to find a place to hide until dark. Four or five police cars appeared, and we were in our house while our Grandma was watering our garden. A police car came up and she started talking to them, and they told her that the bank in Oakmont just got robbed again. She asked the policeman what she could do for help. At this time the police officers thought the stakeout would take a while, so they asked for some water to drink.

We were in the house on a regular day until our grandma came in and told us that the bank was robbed, and two men were running our way. I was afraid the robbers would come in the house and steal from us. When grandma came in she locked all the doors and windows. After about half an hour we heard loud buzzing, propellers spinning. I went out to ask the police if I could go to my volleyball game. This is when I saw the helicopter. They told me no, not until we catch the person. The policemen had only seen one man running.

They told our grandma that she should get her phone book and contact all the people on our road to alert them there was a robber in the area. Grandma just wanted to make sure we were safe more than anything. She made the calls. We were told by the police to come back outside at 7 p.m. to see if we could go to my volleyball game. He said no, we can’t let anybody out. It is not safe; he is still out there. They were bringing in the SWAT team to look in a barn down the road.

Time passed slowly because we were worrying that they wouldn’t catch him by night. The police told us that if they didn’t catch him by nightfall, most police would leave. Finally, at 8 p.m., the police officer came up and knocked on our door. He informed us that they caught the culprits so the police were leaving the area. There were still a few in the entrance directing traffic, and our grandpa told the policemen he lived down that road. Once our grandpa was finally able to get home he asked the policemen what was going on.

After this whole traumatizing event was over, we were glad that we could sleep well tonight without worrying about a robber breaking in.

Tessa and Taylor Steele

Danielli Road, Santa Rosa