KINGMAN - Two women will face charges for assisting suspected bank robber Victor Malaro during his alleged three-month crime spree.
Kari Lyn Santa Rose, 35, faces charges of hindering prosecution and prohibited possession of a firearm, while Tabitha Faye Bailey, 21, faces charges of providing false information to law enforcement during investigations into Malaro's whereabouts.
Santa Rosa is Malaro's former sister-in-law. Bailey is the mother of one of Malaro's children.
Malaro, 41, was arrested Thursday, four hours after allegedly robbing the Mohave State Bank on Stockton Hill Road. He is being held in the Mohave County Jail on a warrant issued out of San Bernardino County, Calif., for a home invasion Sept. 9, and one count of armed robbery in connection with an incident at the National Bank of Arizona in Golden Valley Oct. 16.
Malaro could face additional charges as the suspect in the robberies of the National Bank of Arizona in Bullhead City Nov. 18, the Xtreme Sportswear store in Bullhead City Nov. 23, the Healthy Habits food store in downtown Kingman Nov. 23 and Mohave State Bank Thursday.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office also suspects Malaro is behind the armed robbery of the King Tut's mini-mart on Highway 68 Nov. 11. A 19-year-old clerk was shot during the robbery after deputies say he didn't move fast enough for the suspect.
Sheriff Tom Sheahan said Malaro picked a bad time for his last robbery Thursday. Dozens of law enforcement officials were already in the field doing investigative work on the case. When the call came in, the agencies boxed off the western edge of Kingman and blocked all the exits on Highway 68, Interstate 40 and Route 66.
A witness to the robbery provided police with a vehicle description and license plate number. A Kingman Police officer located the vehicle behind a motel downtown and witnesses told police they observed someone running into the desert behind the Chevron station in the 900 block of west Beale Street.
Agencies searched the area for four hours. A Sheriff's K-9 deputy doing a second sweep of the wash tracked Malaro to a hole he had dug out for himself in the side of the hill.
Sgt. Bob Fisk with the Kingman Police Department said Malaro displayed a simulated explosive device at Mohave State Bank. While the device was made of dynamite, it did not include the blasting caps to make it active. Fisk added that Malaro was familiar enough with the bank to know in which teller drawers a large amount of money would be kept.
Malaro made off with $18,000, which was found on him when he was arrested.
In what Sheahan described as an ironic twist, a letter written by Malaro addressed to the lead detective on the case arrived almost simultaneously as he was being led into the Sheriff's Office around 3 p.m.
Sheahan said the letter taunted law enforcement.
"He thought this was a big game," Sheahan said.
More than 50 of Malaro's friends and associates were interviewed and dozens of search warrants were issued since Oct. 11 while Malaro was at large. Det. Randy McNally with the Sheriff's Office said the two women charged were not involved in the actual robberies, but they lied to police and deputies during interviews.
Deputies are still looking for accomplices believed to have been involved in the Golden Valley bank robbery and possibly the robbery at King Tut's mini-mart.
Malaro also faces charges of aggravated assault for allegedly shooting a 23-year-old man in Golden Valley July 6. McNally said conflicting statements as to whether the shooting was a robbery or an assault have been given.
Malaro has confessed to some of the incidents, but not all, Sheahan said.
"The uniforms may be different colors, but those colors blend into one," he said.
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I knew Victor as a child. [Deleted]. While I am grateful he's been captured and is off the streets, I'll always remember him as just a messed up kid who needed someone to see the mess that was his life. There are no winners in this one.
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Waiting guest
Well overall, the courts system made the mistake of letting him go on weapons charges the first time, we are all aware of that, now let's see if they learn from their mistakes this time. We don't know the verdict just yet, but we can all be happy of there being one less crook on our streets.
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Try'in to Understand
nnp: 20 years in prison! That would be a gift. 19 year old Marcus received 21 for far less crimes. Of course he was lucky, they threatened to give him 500 years. (They really did!) He was so scared of the 500 he took the first offer under that. I just want to understand why they just can't operate fairly. Any ideas? Can anyone understand the Court of Extremes in the Selective Justice Courthouse? Explain it to me.
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
The girls done it. I bet he is willing to testify against them.
Dear Disgusted: I am sorry to inform you but they do not let EVERYONE loose, just certain people. There are those who do less and get exceptionally large bails. You are right this guy SHOULD NOT have been out in August. He had several weapons charges (stolen, unlawful etc.) dangerous drugs, and others. The question we should be asking here is why do certain people get special treatment at our courthouse? Justice is not possible that way. They are being EXTREMELY hard on some of citizens while letting people like this off-Why? Are these crooks working for someone important? They are locking away youth (still teenagers) for 15-20 years for much less. Why can they not be fair? They should attempt to reform them when they are 19. When they are 40 and still doing terrible crimes then they should lock them away. Why are all these 40 year old criminals loose when our teenagers are put away for decades? I think that we have a bad case of SELECTIVE JUSTICE at our courthouse.
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Maybe he did it on purpose. He was in so much trouble in August that he shouldn't have been out. I would like to know his bail. Now thst he has robbed a bank he will have Federal charges. Will he get to go to a better prison? One where the rich who rob us blind go?
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
hope he enjoys 20 years in prison
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
kak
Friends till the end.?
Pals.
Posted: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
DUMB GIRLS....
Posted: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Article comment by:
DISGUSTED
The courts and the County Attorney should hang their heads over this one. This guy was in custody on a weapons charge in during the summer & turned him loose. The Police do their jobs, & the courts keep turning these dirtbags loose to prey on our community. Great job to all Law Enforcement Agencies involved pinching this jerk. The court system, shame on you.
Posted: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Typical for a two-legged rat to dig himself a hole to hide in. Unfortunately, the Sheriff's Department's K-9's are great at sniffing out rats.
Posted: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
The question is; what will the Mohave County "hug a thug" judges and prosecutor give them? a plea bargain that will knock the charges down to malicious mischief.
Posted: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Article comment by:
Y'dnar
This guy is a bona fide idiot, NOT an alleged idiot...he's the real thing!
What kind of idiot stays in the same area committing the same crime over and over? A BONA FIDE one, that what kind!
