A suspected serial bank robber was arrested while gambling at a Tuolumne County casino less than six hours after robbing a downtown Modesto bank, authorities said.

Robert Vincent Mendez of Modesto was arrested Oct. 2 following an investigation that also linked him to a bank robbery in Turlock two days earlier, according to the Modesto Police Department.

Officers responded about 5:14 p.m. to a reported robbery at the Bank of Stockton, 1302 J St., where investigators said Mendez approached a teller and presented a note demanding money.

Mendez obtained cash and fled on foot before changing his appearance in a nearby alley, police said. He then requested a ride through a local rideshare service and left the city.

Working with personnel from the department’s Real-Time Crime Center, patrol officers tracked Mendez’s movements and located the rideshare vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle and learned the driver had recently dropped him off.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for rideshare records, which helped them identify Mendez as the suspect, police said.

Investigators also connected Mendez to a Sept. 30 robbery at a U.S. Bank in Turlock, citing similarities in the robberies and distinctive tattoos.

Further investigative work led detectives to Chicken Ranch Casino in Tuolumne County, where they coordinated with casino security and arrested Mendez while he was gambling.

During the arrest, detectives recovered some of the stolen cash concealed on Mendez, police said.

Authorities said Mendez admitted during an interview to committing both robberies.

Investigators also learned that Mendez had a history of bank robberies in Oregon and Washington and had previously served time in prison.

Police said Mendez claimed responsibility for additional robberies that investigators had not previously known about. Those claims remain under investigation.

Mendez was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of bank robbery, commercial burglary, and possession of narcotics.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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