SANTA ROSA (BCN) — Two men pleaded not guilty in Sonoma County Superior Court Thursday morning to robbing an armored car outside a Windsor bank and trying to kill a car guard in July.
Sergey Gutsu, 24, from Antelope, and Ivan Morales, 23, of Lakeport, are charged with two counts of robbery and one count of attempted murder with enhancements alleging intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury.
The defendants allegedly shot the guard outside the Chase Bank in the Lakewood Shopping Center at 9018 Brooks Road South around 1:50 p.m. on July 12 and fled to Calistoga with money in a blue Chevrolet Suburban.
Gutsu allegedly got out of the Chevrolet during a lengthy pursuit and fired a shot at Calistoga police officer Luis Paniagua, who then rammedGutsu with his patrol car, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
Morales ran from the Chevrolet and hid, prompting a shelter in place as members of several law enforcement agencies searched for him.
Morales was found hiding in a bushy culvert around 7 p.m.
Gutsu and Morales are believed to be responsible for an armored car robbery in Granada Hills in March and a robbery and homicide in San Dimas in June 2015.
Both men are being held under no bail in Sonoma County Jail, and a date for their preliminary hearing will be set on Sept. 2.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys said Thursday morning they are still gathering and exchanging information about the case, and they did not know the condition of the guard who was shot.