Gunman Abducts, Robs Woman Making Bank Deposit

An assistant gas station manager was briefly kidnaped Tuesday and robbed of more than $2,000 in gas station revenues she was trying to deposit at a Simi Valley bank, police said.

Patricia Monroe, 23, of Canyon Country was abducted at 1:20 p.m. by a man who forced his way into her car in a parking lot at the First Interstate Bank of California on Los Angeles Avenue, said Simi Valley police Lt. Neal Rein.

Monroe was at the bank to deposit the receipts from the Texaco station on Los Angeles Avenue.

The man threatened Monroe with a handgun. He told her to keep her head down so she could not identify him, Rein said.

The suspect then forced Monroe to drive about 4 miles down Los Angeles Avenue to Stearns Street.

At the intersection, the man told Monroe to get out of the car. As he drove away, Monroe ran into a nearby home and called police. Monroe was not injured. Her car was recovered nearby, but the money was gone, Rein said.

Police described the suspect as a white male, about 30 years old, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He had a full beard and was wearing sunglasses and a green baseball cap, Rein said.