Crime Briefs

It's not clear if the two had a weapon or only pretended to have one. The method in which they demanded the money was unknown, said Sgt. Dave Ehrlich.

Police were only able to determine that the bank robbers were black, Ehrlich said.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the San Mateo Police Department at 522-7700.

Men wanted for fraud

Redwood City police are searching for one to four men who pretended to be checking water quality while robbing elderly residents.

On Wednesday, three different residents in their 50s and 60s in the 200 block of Hemlock Avenue and the area of Finger Avenue near El Camino Real were approached by a single Hispanic man who knocked on their front door claiming to be a water inspector.

The man proceeded to walk the residents to the bathroom where he pretended to check the quality of the water. Meanwhile, two or three other men where stealing goods from the rest of the house, according to a report by Redwood City police Sgt. Kathryn Anderson.

One resident saw the men in his house and chased them away. He told police he saw the men get into a dark-colored full-sized pickup truck. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Redwood City Police Department at 780-7100.

Alleged carjacker pleads not guilty

The man who allegedly crashed his car into traffic and carjacked an Audi to get away last week pleaded not guilty to all charges yesterday.

Falepapalangi Tautuaa, 30, returns to court June 16 for a preliminary hearing on the evidence.

Tautuaa was arrested June 3 by Redwood City police after surrendering to East Palo Alto police the day after the crash and carjacking.

Taqueria robbed at gunpoint

Police are on the lookout for two men who robbed a taqueria at gunpoint in downtown San Mateo late last night.

At approximately 11:40 p.m., police were called on a report of an armed robbery with shots fired at Taqueria El Nararita at 660 E. Third Ave. in San Mateo, according to police dispatchers.

The suspects were identified as two male Hispanics, one with a hand gun, the other with a revolver and both wearing ski masks.

They were last seen going south in a Ford F-150 with paper plates on Delaware Street, dispatchers said.

Richmond BART robbery victim shot at

BART police are asking for the public's help in finding a robbery suspect whom they say tried to shoot a man in a parking lot on the Barrett Avenue side of the Richmond BART station about 8:30 a.m. yesterday.

BART police officials say the suspect approached the victim and demanded the victim's belongings and the victim immediately cooperated with the robber. Despite the cooperation, police say the robber still pointed a gun directly at the victim and fired. The shot missed the victim.

However, when the victim tried to grab the gun from the robber, the gun went off and shot the victim in the hand, BART police reported.

The robber then fled the area.

The victim was treated and released at a local hospital.

BART police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call them at (877) 679-7000.