UPDATED: Suspect in Murrieta, Temecula Bank Robbery Spree Previously Convicted of Same Crime

Updated at 4:25 p.m. Dec. 18; originally published at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 18

Murrieta police announced Wednesday that the suspect in two Murrieta bank robberies last week is the same man who was arrested for allegedly committing a Temecula bank robbery.

Donn Patrick Thompson, 44, of Riverside, has been held in lieu of $2 million bail at Southwest Detention Center near Murrieta following the Dec. 13 robbery of Citibank on Ynez Road in Temecula.

Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad stated in a news release Wednesday that Thompson is believed to be responsible for the Murrieta robberies of Pacific Western Bank on Dec. 9 and JP Morgan Chase Bank on Dec. 11.

“Detectives from the Murrieta Police Department, working with the Riverside Sheriff's Office and the FBI, linked the Temecula bank robbery suspect to both robberies in Murrieta.” Conrad stated.

Thompson is a convicted bank robber. He previously pleaded guilty to bank robbery in Orange County and was sentenced in 2006 to 100 months in prison, according to court records. 

The records show Thompson has a long criminal history of theft and substance abuse. During his 2006 sentencing, Judge Cormac J. Carney of U.S. District Court Central District, ordered Thompson to undergo substance abuse treatment and counseling.

On Tuesday, charges for the recent alleged crimes were requested and filed with the Riverside County District Attorney.

John Hall, spokesman for the DA’s office, confirmed that Thompson has been charged with the crimes and is scheduled to go before a judge Thursday for a bail review hearing.

According to a court document, along with three counts of felony robbery, Thompson, who also goes by James Ryan Thomas, has been charged with a sentence-enhancing allegation for his previous conviction in Orange County.

In each incident last week, the suspect allegedly handed a teller a demand note and received an undisclosed amount of cash.

Following the Temecula incident at Citibank, which was reported just after 2 p.m. Dec. 13, authorities learned that the suspect was seen leaving the bank branch in a black Ford F-150 pickup truck with an extended cab.

A Riverside County sheriff's deputy spotted a truck fitting that description about an hour after the robbery and pulled over the driver for a traffic violation at Winchester and Nicolas roads. Thompson was arrested during the stop when sheriff's deputies seized evidence allegedly tying him to the crime.

On Dec. 16, Murrieta detectives met with witnesses who "positively identified" Thompson as the suspect in both Murrieta robberies, Murrieta police allege. 

There are no reports of physical injuries to bank employees or customers during the alleged robberies.