`It went to hell' _ police say murder suspects were firing as they stormed Nebraska bank

<br>MADISON, Neb. (AP) _ The holdup men in one of the nation's deadliest bank robberies walked in with guns blazing, and within 40 seconds all five victims had been shot in the head, a police officer

Friday, September 27th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MADISON, Neb. (AP) _ The holdup men in one of the nation's deadliest bank robberies walked in with guns blazing, and within 40 seconds all five victims had been shot in the head, a police officer testified Friday.

Asked why they opened fire, one of the suspects would say only, ``It went to hell in the bank,'' Capt. Steve Hecker said during the first court appearance for the four men. All were denied bail.

The dramatic testimony came one day after the slayings at a U.S. Bank branch in nearby Norfolk touched off a manhunt across northeastern Nebraska.

According to Hecker, one of the suspects cased the inside of the bank, then walked out and used a walkie-talkie to relay the location of the employees to the others, who started shooting as soon as they stormed in.

The three alleged gunmen were caught three hours later in a stolen pickup after stopping at a gas station 75 miles away. A fourth suspect, the alleged scout, was arrested late Thursday. All four men are from the area.

All four suspects face five counts of first-degree murder, which carries a potential death sentence in Nebraska.

About 50 people _ mostly friends of the suspects and relatives of the four bank employees and one customer who were killed _ packed the 30-seat courtroom. The customer's college-age daughter wept in the hallway before the hearing.

Hecker told the judge the suspects had planned the holdup for at least two weeks, casing the bank several times to try to determine money drops and the number of employees at certain times of the day.

The officer then described what he saw on a bank surveillance video:

The gunmen shot customer Evonne Tuttle, 37, as she stood at the teller's counter, then hurdled the counter. The slayings of the four others _ all bank employees _ are not visible on the tape.

Another customer was wounded in the shoulder by gunfire, while two employees were unharmed.

Hecker said the suspects planned to steal the vehicle of one of the victims. Instead, police say, the three gunmen ran away and stole a car at gunpoint from an elderly couple after breaking into their home. Witnesses outside the bank said the suspects were wearing stocking caps, possibly ski masks, and dark, baggy clothes.

The suspects were identified as Jose Sandoval, 23, Jorge Galindo, 21, Erick Fernando Vela, 21, and Gabriel Rodriguez, 26.

Investigators believe Rodriguez had been posted outside the bank in his car until the robbery went awry and he drove off, Mayor Gordon D. Adams said.

``He must have been the getaway driver, and had a change of heart when he heard the gunshots,'' Adams said.

The employees killed were Lola Elwood, 43, Jo Mausbach, 42, Lisa Bryant, 29, and Samuel Sun, 50.

No money was recovered on the men or along their suspected escape route, Norfolk Police Chief Bill Mizner said. An audit was being done at the bank to see if any money was missing.

Three handguns were found along a road between Ewing and Clearwater, the route police believe the suspects used to escape. Mizner said investigators had not yet determined if the weapons were used in the crime.

All the suspects have criminal records, mostly involving drugs and weapons charges. Vela was charged a week ago with carrying a concealed weapon, while Sandoval and Rodriguez spent time in prison for burglary.

At least three of the suspects have lived in the area for years.

Galindo, Sandoval and Rodriguez attended school in Madison, Superintendent Robert Ziegler said. He said Galindo left high school in 1998, Sandoval left in 1995 during his freshman year and Rodriguez left in 1991 after eighth grade.