The victim had just left a Wells Fargo branch in Los Feliz when thieves targeted him.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A man was robbed of $25,000 in cash after leaving a Wells Fargo branch in Los Feliz, where thieves used a flat tire trap in what authorities describe as a bank jugging theft.
The theft drew attention because it followed a pattern police agencies across the country have warned about: suspects watch people leaving banks or ATMs, follow them and strike when the cash is exposed or left inside a vehicle. In this case, the victim had just made a large withdrawal when two men became part of a ruse that ended with the money gone.
The theft happened after the man left the Wells Fargo branch in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, according to KTLA. The station reported that the suspects appeared to follow the victim after the withdrawal. The heist was described as a “flat tire trap,” a setup in which thieves create or point out a tire problem to distract a target. The victim told KTLA that as soon as the two men involved stepped away, he realized what had happened.
The amount taken was reported as $25,000 in cash. The victim had the money after leaving the bank, making him a likely target for a crime often called jugging. The term is used for thefts in which suspects watch bank customers, identify someone carrying cash, then follow that person to another location. Details about whether the cash was taken directly from the victim or from his vehicle were not fully clear in the early reports. The suspects’ names, ages and descriptions also were not immediately released.
The case adds to a wider pattern of bank jugging cases reported in California and other states. In many cases, thieves do not confront victims inside the bank. Instead, they wait outside, track a person after a withdrawal and act when the victim stops. The method can involve breaking a window, distracting the driver or creating a problem with a tire. The Los Feliz case stood out because of the large amount of cash and the reported use of a staged tire problem in a busy part of Los Angeles.
No arrests had been announced in the reports available Sunday. It was not immediately clear whether Los Angeles police had released surveillance images or whether investigators had identified a vehicle connected to the suspects. The next steps are expected to include review of bank-area cameras, nearby business video and any images from the location where the cash was taken. Investigators also may look at whether the same suspects have been tied to similar thefts.
The victim’s account suggested the theft moved quickly once the distraction began. KTLA reported that two men were involved in the heist, and the victim said he understood what had happened only after they moved away. The report did not say whether the man was injured. The scene described in the report included a bank visit, a large cash withdrawal and a tire-related trap, all common parts of jugging investigations.
The case remained under investigation Sunday, May 3, 2026, with the stolen $25,000 still at the center of the probe. Officials had not announced arrests or a public suspect description in the first reports.
Author note: Last updated May 3, 2026.