Stolen cash stashed in clothes washer
Mom persuaded son to go to cops in Jeffco robbery
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 25, 2008 at 8:42 p.m.
Tobias Archuleta, accused of robbing the Bellco Credit Union at gunpoint Wednesday, apparently stashed the cash in a cousin's washing machine, panicked and called his mother, who persuaded him to turn himself in.
"Esther (Archuleta) said that Tobias was very upset, told her that he had 'screwed up' and was in 'a lot of trouble' or words to that effect," the arrest affidavit said.
"Esther said that Tobias told her that there were police after him. Esther said she told Tobias to turn himself into law enforcement authorities," the affidavit said.
Archuleta, 22, of Littleton was charged with one count of bank robbery in federal court Friday.
A detention hearing and preliminary hearing has been set for Wednesday.
If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The arrest affidavit gives the following account of the robbery that occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday:
Archuleta walked into the Bellco Credit Union, 10038 W. Progress Ave., and fired a shot in the lobby.
He would later fire another shot into the ceiling during the robbery, in which he demanded money from two tellers, one male and one female.
Both complied, filling Archuleta's black backpack with more than $81,100.
The male teller also managed to slip a dye pack into the backpack while Archuleta was looking away.
Archuleta then demanded the car keys from the female teller and asked her to tell him what kind of vehicle it was and where it was parked.
He was last seen driving the teller's gray Dodge Caravan over the curb and heading west on West Belleview Avenue.
At 2:45 p.m., Archuleta called the Jefferson County Sheriff's office from Southwest Plaza Mall.
He gave his name, date of birth and told the dispatcher that he had robbed the credit union and that he wanted to turn himself in.
When deputies arrived at the mall, they found Archuleta at a pay phone.
He told them that he was the one they were looking for and gave his name and year he was born.
As he was being arrested, Archuleta reportedly told the officers: "I'll show you where the money is, the gun, the clips, everything. I just wanted to give the money back. I (expletive) up."
Archuleta initially told the deputies that he had left his gun in a trash can on 54th Avenue. But after they told him the gun posed a threat to the public, he told the officers that it was in the basement of the house where he was living, hidden in the bar area.
"If you put your hand in the vent, feel to the left and you will find it," he told the deputies.
At 3:20 p.m., the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office received a call from Archuleta's cousin, Devonne Miera, who said she found a large amount of cash in her washing machine.
The dispatcher told her that a bank robbery had occurred that day and that officers would be dispatched to her home.
When members of the Rocky Mountain Safe Street Task Force arrived at Miera's Littleton home, Miera told them she was doing laundry that day and discovered the cash in the washing machine. She initially called another family member about the money, and the relative told her that a bank near the Miera home had been robbed.
Miera then called Archuleta's mother, Esther, who said she had been contacted by her son. Afterward, Miera called police and gave them permission to search her home.
She also told officers that she rented a basement room to her cousin, Tobias Archuleta, but did not know where he was at the time.
Investigators located a .40 caliber Springfield Armory semi-automatic handgun and two loaded magazines in the vent above the bar in the common area in the basement.
They also found a large amount of cash in the washing machine and dryer in the basement.
The money was marked with red dye from the dye pack.
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July 25, 2008
9:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
LOUIE writes:
Sounds like my mother, she was a fed, I was a criminal. We tried not to bring each other up amongst our peers.
July 25, 2008
9:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Well LOUIE, I hope you didn't break her heart too badly.
So do you think this genius should do time?
July 25, 2008
9:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
LOUIE writes:
It might improve his technique to spend a few with the seasoned pros. Everybody has to start somewhere. Yes, Davies he should be enrolled. He's a grave embarassment now, but in a few years he just might improve on his craft; or retire. LOL!
July 25, 2008
9:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
Thetrainer090 writes:
Needs to do time. Not sentenced as harshly though. He did the right thing and turned himself in. Nobody was harmed
July 25, 2008
9:44 p.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Nobody was physically harmed. You may have some bank employees who never feel as safe in their jobs again. Maybe a ruined marriage, or something similar that arises from someone's inability to function the same as before. But that's life, no?
I'm ambivalent too, by the way. The guy was remorseful. I am convinced that most of us abide the law out of intelligence and the fear of the consequences of getting caught, more than out of any superior morals.
July 25, 2008
9:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
LOUIE writes:
Do you think prisons truly rehabilitate, or are a place to shuffle until the door is openned again? How can society feel safe as the door opens everyday both ways. When the state takes charge of a life, does it school, or condition a man? It's complex, yet today, how many were returned to society? Is society going to forgive or enslave to a lifetime of oppression for the offense? Tell me Davies, is prison going to help him or buy society time?
July 25, 2008
10:03 p.m.
Suggest removal
LOUIE writes:
Gone fishin', but I'll come back; it an interesting subject, never saw an easy answer. Prisons cost a lot of money, I think the taxpayer is entitled to a better return on his money. I got a few ideas, but let me see how this developes and what others think.
July 25, 2008
10:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Louie, I told you I'm ambivalent, so you won't get a stimulating debate from me. Prisons segregate offenders from society, and make us feel safer. Prisons satisfy society's need to punish bad deeds. And prisons serve as a crime deterrent for some. But prisons don't rehabilitate prisoners in and of themselves, and they never will.
It's 99% up to the inmate. If he decides he truly wants to change, one can only hope that our prisons are managed well enough to make that possible.
You are right, it's news when the criminal gets sentenced, but our prisons are full, and every new inmate going in generally means another one is coming out, with no attendant press coverage unless his/her crime was sensational, and society is mostly oblivious to the fact that ex-cons are everywhere.
Look at the Spam King. What was his crime? Essentially, it was only being obnoxious. But into prison he went, and apparently his rehabilitation program was not very successful.
July 25, 2008
10:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
superbad writes:
Is robbing banks really that easy? This guy clearly wasn't very competent, but 81 grand is not a bad take at all. Beats breaking into houses and stealing TVs and crap for pocket change. Shame about the dye pack, rookie mistake I guess.
July 26, 2008
12:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
redwhiteandBLUE writes:
Was this guy on drugs ? Needed money..that bad ? Didn't get to spend any of the $$$. Maybe they will take in consideration that he turned himself in and was cooperating. What he did took guts.
July 26, 2008
5:44 a.m.
Suggest removal
gwats writes:
What a stupid young man! I was 22 when I first came to Colorado in 1979. Worst scrape I ever had with the law was an unpaid traffic ticket. Grew up. Kept my nose clean. Robbing a bank @ 22? That's HARD time, Federal time. His chance at a decent life is gone forever. No chance at cleaning up his act. This crap sticks like glue.
No good job, no home of his own, no stability, ever. His kids will suffer with a 'jailbird' daddy who is always a bum. ( don't worry, some stupid broad always bears these losers some kids saying: "I Love him, he'll change for his kids..... I don't think so)
What a waste of life!
July 26, 2008
5:59 a.m.
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LOUIE writes:
Nothing here, okay I'm with you Davies, no stimulating debate today. Society sure throws a lot of dough into corrections; perhaps this is as good as it gets. See you another day.
July 26, 2008
6:44 a.m.
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hdfresh writes:
A temporary lapse in judgement ends up with up to 25 years in prison.
July 26, 2008
10:44 a.m.
Suggest removal
raoul writes:
geez, what some call ambivalence is really a soft brain wrapped in precociosness.
Let's see: robbed a bank. threatened innocent citizens with bodily injury (perhaps death) by firing shots, possession of a firearm (how and when did he acquire this?), stole a vehicle at gunpoint.
I'll wait til the rest of this "young man's" past history is reported on before deciding it was a "lapse in judgement" worthy of being awarded a medal of courage for turning himself in.
If he's treated with kid gloves than all real MEN who have STONES and EARN what they get should come to Jeffco and give it a try. Heck, you might even get a jury of your peers from the RMN's saturday a.m. comment section to pooh pooh your anti-social behavior away. Afterall, "INCARCERATION" isn't an effective deterrent, is it now.
Probably why he turned is sorry arse in now, don't you think!
July 28, 2008
8:38 a.m.
Suggest removal
Kansasgirl writes:
This guy obviously needs some help. Quit criticizing him! Not one person who has commented on here knows him personally and so not one of you can say why he did this. You don't know where he came from....you don't know what was going on his mind.....and "gwats" you definitely don't know anything about his family life so I don't see how any of you have a place to say anything about his personal life. Why don't those of you who have chosen to sit here and criticize Tobias go ahead and pray that you will be forgiven for judging him, pray that he will find the Lord and most of all pray that somehow Tobias will get the help he needs instead of a punishment that he does not deserve!!!!