2 arrested in Battle Ground accused of more than 10 bank robberies in Oregon, Washington

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two people were arrested in Clark County on Wednesday after being accused of robbing more than 10 banks in Oregon and Washington, authorities said. 

Andrew Bekman, 31, and Amira Askew, 28, were both charged with first-degree robbery after the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team executed a search warrant at their home in Battle Ground at about 9:30 a.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said.

Inside the home, detectives seized clothes that matched suspect descriptions for multiple robberies, guns, bullet-proof vests, stolen vehicles and a note with the words: “This is a robbery. I have a gun. Empty your till.”

This comes after the sheriff’s office asked the public’s help identifying a man and a woman, both wearing medical masks, who allegedly robbed the Umpqua Bank on Northeast 134th Street in Vancouver on the afternoon of Nov. 6.

Law enforcement agents collected video and other evidence from the scene, releasing a photo of the suspects to the public from surveillance footage. Eventually, a member of the community provided a tip that helped identify the suspects, officials said. From there, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Detective Unit was able to locate the home in Battle Ground where the arrests happened.