Lodi Police Officer Todd Versteeg ties up police tape Friday at the Bank of the West at 225 S. Church St. after it was robbed. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Regional Roundup

Woman robs Lodi bank

A woman robbed a Lodi bank Friday and left with at least one female accomplice, police said.

Nobody was injured in the 12:17 p.m. robbery at Bank of the West, 225 S. Church St. A woman approached a teller, presented a note and demanded money.

The woman, described as Hispanic and possibly in her 30s, left and headed south toward Lodi Avenue.

She wore a black hat, brown shirt, capri-length blue jeans and sandals, according to police. A woman seen with her was also described as Hispanic and in her 30s, with long black hair and a black shirt.

St. Anne's School, north of the bank, briefly went into lockdown, standard in such incidents, but police soon called off the lockdown because the women headed the opposite direction and no weapons were seen, Lt. Steven Price said.

Police were also looking for a man who was in the bank at the time of the robbery and could have been connected.

Friday's robbery came slightly more than two weeks after a man robbed a Kettleman Lane bank. He was arrested in Stockton and remains jailed.

Bank of the West was the victim of a takeover bank robbery in April 2005, when three masked men stormed the bank, forcing a woman at the outside ATM into the bank with them. Two were arrested soon after.

Lodi Police Department helps to arrest sex assault suspect in Tracy

The Lodi Police Department's sketch artist helped arrest a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman in Tracy.

According to a statement by the Tracy Police Department, released by the city of Lodi, Benedict Omelagh, 23, was arrested for sexual battery on Thursday.

His arrest stems from an incident on Wednesday, May 7, when a Tracy woman reported she was pushed to the ground and molested by a man who had jogged past her seconds earlier. The woman resisted the attack and suspect stopped his attack and ran away, according to the statement.

Tracy officers asked Lodi's sketch artist Officer Dale Eubanks to draw a sketch based on the woman's description.

On Thursday, the woman contacted Tracy police to report she saw the suspect. Officers responded and located Omelagh in an apartment and he was arrested and taken to San Joaquin County Jail.

Jerry Glenn to head Adopt-A-Child

Jerry Glenn has been named to head the Lodi Adopt-A-Child organization.

Glenn is succeeding Dennis Lewis, who announced earlier this month that he would be retiring from board membership next April.

The succession is being announced now In order to provide a smooth transition.

All of the present programs, including the Boy Scout Troop, Shopping Spree, Christmas and other programs which assist children will continue.

Glenn said he recognizes the "big shoes" he has to fill in replacing Lewis. He added that the immediate need is to fill a number of vacancies on the board and generate a reliable source of funds for the programs.

Glenn is a former city manager of Galt and assistant city manager of Lodi. Lewis retired after a long career as a Lodi police officer.

Do you get around Lodi or Galt without a car?

Do you walk, bike or bus out of necessity, or because you want to help the environment?

If so, contact News-Sentinel reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com or 369-7035, by 5 p.m. May 21 for a story about alternate modes of transportation.