CARACAS, Venezuela — Four gunmen arrested after a tense day-long hostage standoff at a Venezuelan bank are leaders of a gang that allegedly stole $18,600 from another bank two weeks ago, a federal police commissioner said Wednesday.
Vicente Alamo said police prevented the suspects — Jose Miguel Lopez, 23; Daniel Lopez, 20; Edgar Valdivieso, 21; and Victor Rafael Maita, 23 — from getting away Tuesday with about $95,800 worth of Venezuelan bolivars after they held dozens of captives for more than 30 hours.
The four also are suspected of holding up a bank in the Caracas suburb of Guatire on Jan. 16, Alamo told reporters shortly after they were brought to court for arraignment.
Vanessa Saavedra, one of the five hostages who voluntarily accompanied the men as they fled the bank in an ambulance, pleaded with authorities not to harm them when they were arrested, a state governor revealed Wednesday.
The captives described the gunmen as friendly, saying they attempted to calm frightened hostages and demanded food during the standoff for hostages rather than indulging themselves.
