United States v. Edward Fallis

The defendant appeals from his conviction of robbery of a savings and loan association, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113 (a). We affirm.

Late in the afternoon of July 12, 1968, a man entered the office of a savings and loan association in Burlingame, California, and robbed a teller of $1,118.00. Minutes thereafter, Lawrence F. Pickett, Jr., a police officer of the neighboring city of Millbrae, heard a radio broadcast concerning the crime and noted that the perpetrator was described as “white male American, approximately six feet, medium build, light brown hair, wearing a green suit with a hat and sunglasses and a white gaucho shirt-sweater.” (Emphasis supplied.)

Officer Pickett thereupon drove his police car toward the scene of the crime, and as he approached that area his attention was attracted to a man (the defendant) sitting in the passenger seat of a Volkswagen automobile and engaged in the process of putting on a polka dot shirt over a white gaucho shirt. As soon as traffic conditions permited, officer Pickett maneuvered his car so that he was directly following the Volkswagen. He then noticed that it carried Nevada license plates and was being driven by a young woman. He…