SAN FRANCISCO -- What at first was believed to be a $1 million armored car robbery now may run as high as $7 million, police said Tuesday. If so, it would be the biggest heist in San Francisco history.
One of the two men police said was involved in the daring Sunday robbery -- Gary Pierce -- is in custody while authorities are looking for his alleged accomplice -- former security guard Thomas Pfeil. They said Pfeil may have fled California and could be on his way to a foreign country.
Police recovered the bulk of the money, jammed into 16 suitcases, after Pierce was arrested nearing a waiting jet five hours after the robbery. James Hearn, senior assistant agent in charge of the San Francisco FBI office, said a federal fugitive warant may be issued for Pfeil, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid presecution. The FBI was called into the case because the robbery involved more than $300,000.
Pfeil, whose father said he was close to earning a degree in police science and had applied for admission to the Oakland Police Department, was belived to be carrying some of the money but officials refused to say how much. Pierce, meanwhile, was being held on $300,000 bail at San Francisco city jail.
'I know we have the bulk of it recovered,' said police Lt. Gino Marionetti of the money. 'How much is there, I'm not exactly sure.' But police inspector James Bergstrom said it was 'substantially more' that $1 million as originally thought and 'conceivably' could be as much as $7 million.
