Deadly California street gang behind robbery and AK-47 street battle that killed mother used as human shield: Three robbers were from notorious Nortenos gang
- The three suspects are believed by police to be members of the violent Norteno street gang
- Misty Holt-Singh was taken hostage by armed robbers who reportedly used her as a human shield as they exchanged gunfire with police
- The three armed robbers fled Wednesday afternoon from a Bank of the West branch in Stockton, California
- They took three female hostages from bank at gunpoint before leading police on a 45-minute pursuit through city streets
- Two hostages were thrown from the bullet-riddled vehicle during the wild chase and shootout
- Fourteen police cars and numerous homes were shot up by the suspects
- Two suspects were killed and a third, 19-year-old Jaime Ramos, was taken into police custody
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The three suspects in a bank robbery gone wrong who used a married mother as a human shield during a high-speed chase and gun battle with police are believed to be part of a notorious street gang, authorities said.
Misty Holt-Singh was one of three women - another customer and a bank employee - taken hostage and used as human shields during shootout that saw 20 officers fire shots and three of the getaway SUV's six occupants including her die.
A 19-year-old gang-banger was taken alive by police and two of the hostages pushed from the moving vehicle after being shot are miraculously expected to survive their injuries, authorities said.
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Beloved wife and mother Misty Holt-Singh was killed when she was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between the bank robbers who took her hostage and the Stockton police
It's believed Holt-Singh was being used as a human shield during the shoot-out
This image provided by the Stockton Police Department shows a condolence letter written for Misty Holt-Singh
IT TOOK 90 MINUTES FOR THIS BANK-ROBBERY-GONE-WRONG TO LEAVE THREE DEAD
2 P.M. - Three armed men enter a Bank of the West branch in Hammer Lane and Thornton Road in north Stockton, Cali.
2:11 p.m. - A bank guard alerts police before being restrained
2:12 p.m. - Police arrive on the scene
2:16 p.m. - The thieves make off with three hostages in a bank employees green SUV. They make it 14 blocks before shooting one.
2:28 p.m. - The thieves pull off the highway in an attempt to ambush pursuing officers but are foiled when authorities spot them
3:16 p.m. - They shoot the second hostage
3:18 p.m. - Police are able to shoot out the SUV's tires bringing it to a halt in the middle of an intersection
3:20 - The thieves exit the SUV using hostage Misty Holt-Singh as a human shield. She's killed in the crossfire along with two of the thieves.
The robbers are believed by officials to be members of the violent Norteno street gang, Stockton Police CHief Eric Jones said during a Thursday press briefing.
Police arrived on the scene in less than a minute after the robbers took the three female hostages from the building at gunpoint, before stealing one of their SUVs and speeding away.
Holt-SIngh's 12-year-old daughter was left left stranded at the bank as her mother was taken hostage and was fortunately unharmed - but now is without a mother, according to CBS Sacramento.
Reports have suggested Holt-Sing may have been killed by police fire, and Jones was unable to confirm during the Thursday press briefing whose gunfire killed the woman, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A MailOnline message left late Thursday night with Stockton Police seeking further information was not immediately returned.
The other two hostages had far different outcomes.
The thieves only went 14 blocks before shooting one of the hostages who was then either pushed from the truck or jumped. Doctors say her injuries are not life threatening.
For the next 45 minutes, the robbers led dozens of police cars on a chase across highways and city streets, according to Stockton police Officer Joe Silva.
The robbers not only had assault rifles but extra magazines taped or strapped to their bodies. The gunfire was unrelenting, police said. Officers had no choice but to engage the suspects.
Police lost the SUV at approximately 2:28 p.m. as it pulled off the highway. However, rather than using the advantage to speed away the thieves stopped in position to ambush the police they knew were just seconds away.
Luckily for authorities, another officer saw them from another angle and warned the pursuing officers.
14 police cars were shot during the pursuit before the SUV's tires could be shot out
Pictured here with her family, Holt-Singh reportedly was forced to leave her 12-year-old daughter behind alone in the bank as she was taken hostage
The suspects fired AK-47-style rifles from the windows of their SUV during the deadly pursuit
Gang banger: The only surviving suspect has been identified as 19-year-old Jaime Ramos, a known member of the Nortenos
A second hostage was shot at 3:16 p.m., shortly before she either jumped from the car or was pushed. She is expected to survive, according to the Times.
Police were able to shoot out the SUV's tires two minutes later and bring it to a halt in the middle of an intersection.
They used Holt-Singh, their final hostage, as a human shield in a final shootout. She was tragically killed in the crossfire.
'These suspects wanted no part of a peaceful resolution,' said Jones.
'It was such a chaotic ... fluid situation, really one of the most dangerous, tense situations that a police officer could go through,' he continued.
'The firing never stopped. They were trying to kill (the officers), no doubt. There was a lot on the line and the officers responded appropriately.'
One suspect was declared dead at the scene, and a second died at a local hospital, authorities said.
Violent: An American hostage has been killed and two others injured after three armed men robbed a bank and led police on a high-speed chase. Above, two of the hostages was thrown from this SUV (pictured) in the chase
Damaged: The three armed men were spotted arriving at a Bank of the West branch in Hammer Lane and Thornton Road in north Stockton, California, at 2pm yesterday. Above, the bullet-riddled SUV after the chase
Nortenos: Members of the violent street gang are shown wearing red and flashing gang signs
The Nortenos are a notoriously-violent street gang ravaging parts of California as they wage war with rival gangs, especially the Surenos.
Norteno is Spanish for "northerner,' and sureno is Spanish for 'Southerner.'
Both rival groups were born in the California prison system during the 1980s and 1990s.
Branches of Surenos include the infamous MS-13, which has been referred to by authorities in the past as the world's most dangerous street gang.
Members are predominantly Mexican and make money through drug sales and human trafficking, but the bulk of their profits come from selling drugs.
They often are heavily-tattooed with several gang symbols including the number 14, which represents the letter 'n' being the fourteenth in the alphabet.
Nortenos also often wear the color red and are known to have a heavy presence in the Bay Area.'
A guard at this Stockton bank managed to alert police before he was tied down
Armed response: Stockton police officers are pictured at the scene where the SUV was stopped yesterday
Suspect: A male suspect is accompanied by police as he is led to hospital following the high-speed chase
Robbery: The three men allegedly robbed this Bank of the West branch in Hammer Lane and Thornton Road
Stockton police spokesman Joe Silva said Thursday morning the men, ages 30 and 27, were city residents.
He identified the third surviving suspect as 19-year-old Jaime Ramos.
The teen was booked into San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of homicide, kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder.
In total, the robbers shot 14 police cars and a still undetermined number of homes during the chase.
Upon learning of her death, Holt-Singh's friends and family took to her Facebook page to memorialize her.
'Misty, you are an awesome woman & my heart goes out to you and your family,' read one memorial.
'I can't believe this' wrote another. 'RIP Misty.'
'This is not something you want to hear in the middle of the day,' brother-in-law Ajit Singh told reporters. 'You don’t wake up or go to your job thinking something like this is going to happen to you.
Another hostage has been identified by family friends as bank employee Kelly Huber. The SUV used in the chase was a Ford Explorer registered to her, authorities said.
Scene: Today, witnesses said the final shoot-out had resembled a warzone. Above, police at the scene
'Yeah, my heart kind of dropped. I am concerned,' said neighbor Amber Harbor. 'I want to know what happened and if she was involved and if she is OK. I just hope that everything is OK with her.'
Today, witnesses said the final shoot-out had resembled a war zone.
'It sounded like five minutes of straight gunfire,' witness Sam York told KCRA-TV. 'It seemed like it wasn't real.'
Jose Maldonado, who said he saw the robbers taking the women out of the bank, said the men had rifles that looked like AK-47s slung over their shoulders.
He added that they had also tied up a bank security guard, and didn't seem to care that there were police all around.
'They were not afraid. They weren't going to take no for an answer. These poor women, they were screaming, they were so distraught, so scared,' he said.
The bank declined in a statement to provide information about the victims.
'This is a tragic incident and we are focused on supporting our customers and employees.'
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