Bank Robbed; Bandit May Be Tied to Others

A man who robbed a California Federal Bank branch in Thousand Oaks on Tuesday and drove off with an undisclosed amount of cash may be responsible for a string of bank heists during the last three years, according to the FBI.

Although police and FBI agents had made no arrests in the case as of Tuesday night, witnesses’ descriptions matched those of a man who has struck other banks in the area, said FBI Special Agent Larry Dick. The thief’s methods, he said, also matched earlier robberies.

“It’s a very good possibility that he could be an individual who’s been very active in Southern California since 1993,” Dick said.

The latest bank robbery--the sixth in Thousand Oaks this year--happened at 11:10 a.m. when the man showed a bank teller a note demanding money and warning that he had a gun. The teller gave him cash, and he left without displaying a weapon.

“He was out of the bank by the time anyone knew what was happening,” said Sgt. Will Howe of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. “Even the other employees didn’t know what was going on.”

Witnesses in the parking lot of the bank on North Moorpark Road said they saw the man climb into a small, gray car and drive off. A search of the area, aided by a Sheriff’s Department helicopter, failed to locate the vehicle.

The thief is described as a white male in his early 30s, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. He was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and a red baseball cap.

Dick said the same man may have been responsible for another robbery at the same bank on May 2, 1994. On Aug. 8 of the same year, the suspect also may have robbed the First Interstate Bank branch at 180 N. Moorpark Road, Dick said.