Anthony Scott Sells Harris is the alleged bank robber who strapped a bomb to himself and take people hostage in Bakersfield. The incident occurred in a Chase Bank In downtown Bakersfield, californiaYesterday, 10 people were held hostage for 15 hours before authorities shot and killed the suspect.
“It’s a bad day at the bank,” Sells-Harris said as he began the robbery, according to witnesses, KGET report. Sid Patel, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Sacramento field office, confirmed that Searles-Harris was shot around 4:20 a.m. Here’s everything you need to know about Anthony Scott Sayles Harris.
Anthony Scott Sayles Harris: 5 Things to Know
- Sells-Harris, 41, is a veteran who was reportedly dishonorably discharged.
- Sells-Harris is also a registered sex offender. According to Police Chief Jeremy Blackmore, Sells-Harris “had concerns about how his previous cases were handled, what the consequences were, sentencing and things like that.”
- Sales Harris served in the Army for a year but was discharged for being AWOL.
- The report pointed out that according to California Department of Justice records, Searles-Harris was listed on the state’s sex offender registry due to a 2014 conviction for sex crimes involving children under the age of 14. He was subsequently released from prison in 2018. Another man allegedly paid Searles-Harris to perform oral sex on two underage girls in 2014, according to reports. The bank robbery suspect also allegedly hosted underage girls for parties at his Oildale home, gave them drugs and alcohol and then forced them to have sex.
- No motive was given for the confrontation, but the Bakersfield police chief said Sayles-Harris wanted material from his previous case. According to Kern County court records, Sells Harris had filed a domestic violence prevention petition. He was also involved in divorce proceedings involving a young child, as well as a custody battle in which he was considered an opponent.
Police also worked to ensure the alleged explosive device at the scene did not pose a danger after Sellers-Harris no longer posed a threat. They concluded that they didn’t care. “We are still conducting further testing on them, but we can conclude at this time that they are not a concern for us,” an FBI official told the New York Post. Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said in a statement, “The best way the public can help at this time is to avoid the area and provide law enforcement, negotiators and other trained professionals with the space and opportunity to safely carry out their duties.”
(With AP input)
