Cops: Man planned to rob Edwards bank

EAGLE-VAIL, Colorado — An illegal immigrant was arrested after a text message saying the man was planning to rob an Edwards bank was sent to a teller, Sgt. Greg Daly of the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said.

Francisco Javier Herrera Ochoa, of Eagle-Vail, stole two pistols from an Eagle-Vail home where he was working construction, Daly said.

Someone — Daly declined to say who — sent a text message to a bank teller saying that Ochoa planned to rob the bank.

Deputy Leonard Valdez found Ochoa at the Eagle-Vail home. Valdez found a .22 caliber pistol in a holster in the waist band of Ochoa’s pants during a search, Daly said.

“As far as we’re concerned, we foiled a bank robbery,” said Daly, who declined to name the bank.

A 9 millimeter handgun, which Ochoa also had stolen from the Eagle-Vail home, was found in Ochoa’s home, Daly said.

Ochoa, originally from Mexico, did not say whether he had planned to rob the bank during an interview at a Sheriff’s Office station in Edwards, Daly said.

Ochoa was arrested on suspicion of two counts of theft and one count of unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon and was being held in Eagle County jail Wednesday, authorities said.


Staff Writer Steve Lynn can be reached at 748-2931 or slynn@vaildaily.com.