- Friday January 17th, 2014 :: 10:46 a.m. PST
Community
Serial Bank Robbers Striking on Westside & Valley Sought for Total of 19 Robberies. Photos Included
“VALLEY BANDIT” AND “WESTSIDE GUN & BAG BANDIT” LINKED TO STRING OF 19 BANK ROBBERIES IN UNRELATED CASES, INCLUDING ONE YESTERDAY
The FBI and police in Los Angeles are seeking information from the public that leads to the identity of unidentified male bank robbers wanted for two separate series of bank robberies. The suspects were given monikers of “Valley Bandit” and “Westside Gun & Bag Bandit” in order to link the robberies for law enforcement responding to banks in multiple areas. Bandit Names are generated based on witness descriptions of the appearance or behavior of a suspect during the initial robberies to which they’re linked.
VALLEY BANDIT
During the ten robberies linked to the “Valley Bandit,” the suspect generally threatens a weapon, typically described as a revolver. The suspect holds a gun near his waistband and has pointed the weapon at bank employees and customers, according to witnesses. Witnesses have described the Valley suspect as an Hispanic or Middle Eastern male, between 5'09" - 6' in height, 180-200 lbs. and between 25-35 years old. During one of the robberies, the suspect was seen getting into a white vehicle, described as a Mercedes SUV. The suspect is has also been linked to a four-door, black Mercedes Benz sedan. In bank surveillance photos, the suspect can be seen wearing a baseball hat. As his moniker indicates, the Valley Bandit has been linked to the following banks in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles:
12/18/12 Bank of America 8720 Balboa Blvd. Northridge
6/14/13 Chase 9154 Sepulveda Blvd. North Hills
6/28/13 Bank of America 20118 Roscoe Blvd. Winnetka
7/15/13 Chase 17900 Chatsworth St. Granada Hills
7/24/13 Chase 9111 Corbin Ave. Northridge
8/26/13 Wells Fargo 18400 Sherman Way Reseda
9/28/13 Chase 14111 Riverside Drive Sherman Oaks
11/6/13 Chase 19323 Victory Boulevard Van Nuys
12/4/13 Wells Fargo 6460 Platt Avenue West Hills
12/14/14 Chase 11160 Balboa Ave. Granada Hills
12/16/14 Wells Fargo 21834 Sherman Way Canoga Park
WESTSIDE GUN & BAG BANDIT
During the eight robberies linked to the Westside Gun & Bag Bandit, the suspect wears sunglasses and a hat, alternating between baseball cap and a cowboy hat. The Gun & Bag suspect threatens a weapon and carries a brown paper bag in which he places the stolen cash. The Westside Gun & Bag Bandit is further described as a white male, between 35-45 years old; between 5’9” and 6”, and between 160-180 lbs. U.S. Bank is offering a reward* of up to $10,000 in exchange for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the robberies linked to the Westside Gun & Bag Bandit. The Westside Gun & Bag Bandit has been linked to the following bank robberies:
5/22/13 First Republic 431 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica
8/29/13 One West 1630 Montana Ave. Santa Monica
9/25/13 Union Bank 429 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica
10/22/13 U.S. Bank 4700 Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles
11/4/13 U.S. Bank 3302 West Pico Blvd. Santa Monica
11/30/13 Chase 1415 Lincoln Blvd. Venice
12/11/13 Chase 310 North Fairfax Ave. Santa Monica
1/7/14 U.S. Bank 1401 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica
Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of either suspect is urged to contact their nearest FBI office or dial 911.
Bank surveillance photographs of the Valley Bandit and the Westside Gun & Bag Bandits are being provided to the media. Additional information about bank robbers currently wanted by the FBI’s Los Angeles Division can be found at www.labankrobbers.org.
*Bank reward criteria vary. Individual bank should be contacted for specific criteria associated with reward offer.
Laura Eimiller
FBI Press Relations
Los Angeles Field Office
310 996-3343
310 420-6441
http://losangeles.fbi.gov
www.labankrobbers.org
Address/Location
LASD - Malibu/Lost Hills Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff
27050 Agoura Rd
Calabasas, CA 91301
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 818-878-1808