Looking from underneath the car, D.J. It was certainly scary for Sharon Higman, who said she was working as bank assistant vice president when robbers stormed in. The robbers continued to fire at other officers arriving at the scene, and attempted to escape again by commandeering a truck (the truck was owned by Michael C. Linville) stopped at the intersection in front of the bank. Two of the five perpetrators and one sheriff's deputy were killed, eight other law enforcement officers, one citizen and two other perpetrators were wounded, and massive amounts of gunfire damaged at least 30 police cars, a police helicopter, and numerous nearby homes and businesses. Try as he might, Chris could not come up with a single reason why anyone would need a sword to rob a bank. McCarty let go of the M16 and rolled to his left, lifting his right arm to shield his face. “James Evans’ wife told me that that morning he told her that he had a bad feeling,” Bash said, and might not come home. Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery In American History, by Peter Houlahan (2019 book) is a documented account of the bank robbery, pursuit and 14-month death penalty trial that followed. The loose dirt kicked out from under his boots and he began to slide and tumble down the hill. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com. Manny waved a hunting knife inches from his face. In the passenger seat, George leaned forward and took a sip of soda, trying to look as casual as possible. The three who were arrested were convicted of 46 felonies and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He watched it go. Norco '80 isn't just a play-by-play account of the crime, as shocking as it was — he takes several deep dives into subjects related to the robbery, including Smith's involvement with the "Jesus movement" of the '70s and the wild trial ("one of the longest and most expensive ... in American history") that followed the capture of the surviving robbers. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. 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In this episode, you’re going to hear from some of the people who were there that day at the Security Pacific Bank. When they left the bank, a shootout ensued, wounding an officer and killing Billy Delgado, who had been designated the getaway driver. “Well, at least now we know where all the cops in Norco are,” George said. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. Peter Houlahan is a freelance writer contributing to a wide range of publications. Even with the low clearance of the Ford Fairlane, McCarty somehow managed to clear away enough of the loose roadbed to get most of his body underneath the patrol unit. Norco Planning Director Steve King said development plans call for a gas station, convenience store and car wash on the 1.3-acre property. Cole said he believes the movie will be made. [7], Coordinates: 33°55′29″N 117°33′34″W / 33.9246312°N 117.559306°W / 33.9246312; -117.559306, Aftermath and prosecution of the perpetrators, Learn how and when to remove this template message, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, 2009 shootings of Oakland police officers, "Surviving terrorism: shot five times by bank robbers, an Air Force officer tells his story, offering candid advice how to avoid being a victim of terrorists", https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-norco-80-peter-houlahan-interview-20190605-story.html, "A first person account of the day that changed law-enforcement in Riverside County forever", "How a 1980 Bank Robbery Sparked the Militarization of America's Police", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Norco_shootout&oldid=983059409, Law enforcement operations in the United States, Articles needing additional references from February 2013, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 October 2020, at 00:44. Now I am a bitter old man waiting for my toe tag.”. His prose incorporates the vernacular of the officers and criminals; it's hard-boiled, shot through with profanity, but never forced. Evans spun to his right, discharging a round from his .38 into the dirt as he fell dead in front of McCarty’s unit. According to the Internet Movie Database, the movie “Norco” is “in development.” No other information is provided. When they were done loading all the duffel bags, George came out of the house carrying a samurai sword with a 23-inch blade and placed it in the back seat of the Z/28. But it just keeps rippling out through the generations, carried forward by heartbroken parents, wives, brothers, and sisters, and handed down to the half dozen children left fatherless on both sides." Survivalists and the Harrowing Norco Bank Robbery Gangs • June 14, 2011 • by Richard Valdemar Much has been made of the odd team of Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. and Emil Matasareanu, who robbed Bank of America's North Hollywood branch in February of 1997. Edging the van down an alley just off Hamner and a mile south of the bank, Chris brought it to a stop behind a strip mall under construction at 1780 Commerce St. George opened the side door of the van and jumped out carrying the cardboard box containing six beer bottles filled with leaded gasoline. Much has been made of the odd team of Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. and Emil Matasareanu, who robbed Bank of America's North Hollywood branch in February of 1997. The place where it all started, the former Security Pacific Bank, 122-page screenplay called “Norco” about the bank robbery, Peter Houlahan’s 2019 book about the robbery, “Norco ’80,”, Cole said he sold the screenplay in 2015 to MadRiver Pictures, where people took cover in 1980 from the spray of bullets, But because of an installation error, Houlahan wrote, Demolition underway at site of fatal Norco bank robbery, MOVIES: Notorious Norco bank robbery could hit big screen, How ‘Norco ’80’ author Peter Houlahan tracked down the true story of a deadly Southern California bank heist and shootout, Norco ’80, part 5: Bank robbery starts, and it’s a race against the clock, Norco ’80, finale: Careers ruined, police tactics changed by bank robbery and gun battle. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), The sound of construction and demolition continues at the former Security Pacific National Bank building in Norco on Thursday July 18, 2019. He tried it again. The old bank building where the bank robbery took place 40 years ago was torn down last summer. Together, they darted forward and dragged Evans’ body back to the driver’s side of the Fairlane as McPheron emptied his .38 revolver as cover. Russ sees it as a blessing and a curse. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. The two self-styled survivalists and military weapons nuts met in a Venice, Calif., gym in 1989. McCarty saw it all happening in front of him as though watching a movie through the windshield of the Fairlane. After two hours, the visitor runs out of questions, so they spend the last hour talking about ’70s rock music and L.A. radio stations they used to listen to, the smoggy days, sneaking into Disneyland – all the stuff teenagers growing up in Orange County did back then. Peter Houlahan is a freelance writer contributing to a wide range of publications. It was almost 2 p.m. and they still had one more important piece of the plan to execute before hitting the bank. Deputy James Evans, one of the first units to come under attack during the ambush, was shot in the head and killed. “No one’s shooting anything right now,” Cole said, saying that will depend on who decides to fund the film’s production. Part 5 – When the bank robbery starts, it’s a race against the clock, even though the silent alarm did no good. In those fleeting seconds, McCarty could make out figures with rifles moving farther up the hill near the rear of the truck. They’re coming to execute me, he thought. Two of the five perpetrators and one sheriff's deputy were killed, eight other law enforcement officers, one citizen and two other perpetrators were wounded, and massive amounts of gunfire damaged at least 30 police cars, a police helicopter, and numerous nearby homes and businesses. “That’s how we’ll all be armed soon.”. 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