South Lake man admits to robbery of Carson City bank

A South Lake Tahoe man will be sentenced May 31 for bank robbery after pleading guilty Monday in Carson City District Court.

Saul Galicia, 19, was arrested March 7 following a three-hour standoff in front of the Wells Fargo bank on South Carson Street.

Galicia told a bank employee he had a bomb in his backpack and demanded money when an off-duty Douglas County jail deputy held him at gunpoint and removed him from the building.

The bank was evacuated and Galicia was left lying face down on the sidewalk in front of the doors until the bomb squad could arrive, remove the backpack with a robot and detonate what turned out to be simply a backpack and wires. The standoff ended about 4:15 p.m. and closed northbound and southbound traffic between Koontz Lane and Fairview Drive on Carson Street for about two hours.

According to investigators, Galicia said he'd hoped to use the money he garnered in the heist to fly to Guatemala and meet his maternal grandfather who is near death.

n Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.