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Surveillance Video Shows Brazen Take-Over Bank Robbery

New surveillance video was released Friday showing the frightening moments during a Corona take-over style bank robbery.

New surveillance video was released Friday showing the frightening moments during a Corona take-over style bank robbery.

The robber eventually led police on a high-speed pursuit that ended in Chino with a deadly officer-involved shooting.

In the surveillance video, you can see one of two suspects entering the Pacific Premier Bank branch, wearing a white hoodie while armed with a handgun.

Corona police say he ordered everyone into the vault, then took tens of thousands of dollars before quickly leaving.

After analyzing the video, investigators also believe the suspect was carrying something else.

"It appeared that he had some kind of two way communication device in one of his hands," Sgt. Paul Mercado said.

Thanks to a bank tracking device placed inside the money, Corona police were able to catch up to the suspect’s dodge minivan as he headed north on State Route 71.

They eventually pulled the minivan over and the driver, Patricia Smith, 26, got out before the minivan took off again.

"Miss Smith actually told the officers that she was a victim of a carjacking and that the male subject inside the car was armed with a gun," Mercado said.

But police say Smith was lying about being carjacked, and she was actually the getaway driver for the robber, who was identified as 59-year-old Paul Alfred Johnson.

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Investigators say Smith is Johnson’s adopted daughter.

The chase eventually came to a violent end in Chino after Johnson was surrounded by police from several different agencies.

The situation turned into an officer-involved shooting that left Johnson dead.

Police can’t yet talk about the circumstances leading to that officer-involved shooting because it is still under investigation, but investigators say the suspect was carrying bank money, as well as the handgun.

A viewer called NBC4 and said Johnson was a pastor from Hemet, who went by the name "Pastor Paul." Corona police couldn't confirm that information, but said they have also heard the same thing.

"We'll pass that info on to investigators as they move forward with their investigation," Mercado said.

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