San Jose police’s new helicopter makes first bust
SANJOSE » Bad guys beware. The San Jose Police Department’s new helicopter is already making arrests.
On Wednesday, Air3 helped track a suspected bank robber as he attempted to elude capture by changing his clothes and boarding a shuttle at San Jose International Airport.
The robbery was reported about 12:45 p.m. at City National Bank on Almaden Boulevard. A man walked into the branch, gave the teller a demand note stating he had a gun and made off with an undisclosed amount of money, said San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia.
Around the same time, the flight crew of Air3 was giving a presentation at the San Jose Police Academy in South San Jose. Garcia said they heard the police broadcast, jumped in the copter and made a beeline for the suspect’s last known location — the airport.
Using Air3’s sophisticated camera equipment, the f light crew located the suspect’s vehicle, then watched him park at Terminal B, change his clothes and board a shuttle.
That information was relayed to ground units, and an officer arrested the suspect as he got off the shuttle at Terminal A, said Garcia, adding that the stolen money was recovered.
The suspect was identified as Brian Edward Austin, 46, of Oceanside. Garcia said police are investigating his possible involvement in other bank robberies in the Bay Area.
The arrest is a first for the recently unveiled Air3, Garcia said. The $5.2 million Airbus-manufactured H125 replaced Air2, which had been inuse for 16 years, twice its recommended service life.
“I think it sets a positive tone for the community and the officers that we have a new exciting tool to help us do our jobs much more efficiently,” Garcia said about the arrest.
Anyone with information about the bank robbery can contact San Jose police Detective Jason Park at 408277- 4166.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947- STOP (7867) or svcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.