Sacramento man identified as armored car robbery suspect

A man suspected of being a robber who began a shootout with a Brinks armored car guard Friday in the south Sacramento area was identified Saturday as Gilbert Earl Smith of Sacramento.

Smith, 45, was arrested and faces charges of robbery and attempted murder, according to Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Tony Turnbull. He remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition and will be booked into the Sacramento County jail after he is discharged.

The guard is in stable condition, Turnbull said.

Deputies were called to a Golden 1 Credit Union in the 4400 block of Florin Road at 9:30 a.m. Friday, according to Turnbull. When they arrived, they found the guard with wounds to his upper body and the suspect suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Turnbull said the guard was headed to an armored vehicle carrying a bag of money when a masked man approached with a gun. The guard and robber exchanged multiple gunshots, and both fell wounded in the parking lot of the bank.

The shootout occurred just feet outside of the credit union. Turnbull said the injured guard was believed to have been wearing a protective vest.

This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Sacramento man identified as armored car robbery suspect."