A 48-year-old man was arrested Friday at a South Lake Tahoe motel in connection with the robbery and bomb threat at Wells Fargo Bank on New Year's Eve, according to police.
The suspect, Scott Alan Pearson, allegedly robbed the bank branch inside Raley's Supermarket at 4010 Lake Tahoe Blvd. The man left a box at the scene, saying it contained a bomb, and fled with more than $2,000 in cash, according to South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Marty Hale.
The bank along with Raley's were immediately evacuated. The Tahoe Douglas Bomb Squad responded to the scene and and brought in a robot to render the device safe. Raley's was reopened about 7 p.m.
South Lake Tahoe Police investigators and the FBI located and arrested Pearson Friday on suspicion of robbery, burglary and using a destructive device to terrorize. Pearson was arrested at Midway Motel at 3876 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
The investigators identified Pearson as a suspect based on their investigation and information connected with the security surveillance tapes. Police obtained a search warrant to search Pearson's room at the motel.
Hale said that police detectives worked on the case non-stop since the incident occurred.
"They put in all their spare time following up on it," he said.
Pearson was being held Sunday at El Dorado County Jail on $250,000 bail.
