Recent Bank Robberies Linked

By Dean Lee

FBI investigators now say that a man who robbed a Wells Fargo Bank Tuesday has been linked to at least one other bank robbery in the city, earlier this month, and are now calling him the “Drywaller Bandit.”

FBI Public Information Officer Laura Eimiller said an unidentified white male has also been linked to the robbery of a Citibank in the 100 block of West California Boulevard August 13.

In both cases she said the suspect committed takeover style bank robberies and demanded cash with verbiage, “This is a holdup. Nobody move. Give me all the money."

According to police they received a 9-11 call at approximately 10:00 a.m. Tuesday of a bank robbery, possibly still in progress, in the 300 block of Colorado Boulevard. Police spokesperson Janet Pope-Givens said arriving officers secured the area but the suspect had already fled the scene.

“He was last seen running down St. John Avenue,” she said. “We don’t know what that means, he had a car somewhere and jumped in that, fled on foot, or hid in an apartment complex, we don’t know yet.”

Pope-Givens said according to witnesses the suspect entered the building lobby wearing a mask, took an employee at gunpoint and then entered the bank demanding money. She said the suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Eimiller described the suspect as late 30s with a medium build. The suspect wore sunglasses and carried what was described as an automatic handgun she said. He was further described as having worn black gloves and carried a maroon velvet bag. In both cases he also wore a baseball cap and a dust mask covering his face.

The August 13 robbery also occurred in the morning. There was no getaway car seen in either case.

Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez announced that Wells Fargo offered a reward of up to $10,000 in exchange for information leading to an arrest. “Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department Detective Section at 744-4522 and/or FBI at 888 CANT HIDE (888 226-8443),” he said.