Robbers have struck banks 13 times in 2005
MAIN STREET — A Santa Monica bank popular among customers and thieves was robbed on Tuesday for the third time this year.
At 10:57 a.m., the Santa Monica police responded to a bank robbery that occurred at the First Federal Bank at 2827 Main St. An undisclosed amount of money was stolen. No one was injured.
When officers arrived at the scene, they were told the two suspects fled on foot from the bank, according to Santa Monica Police Lt. Frank Fabrega. A search of the area was conducted, and the suspects were not located.
Witnesses said they were conducting business in the bank when two black men entered and demanded that everyone “stick up their hands.”
The suspects didn’t reveal any weapons. One man kept his hand in his pocket during the incident as the other one collected money from a teller and put it into a bag, witnesses said.
The suspects didn’t take any money from the bank’s customers.
Witnesses said the robbery lasted less than a minute. The suspects exited through the front door and walked up Ashland Avenue toward Second Street.
Several pedestrians said they saw the two suspects walk out of the bank carrying bags. No one stopped them.
Police said the first suspect is a black male, 35 to 45 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing a dark shirt and a dark cap with a small brim. The other suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 30 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing 250 pounds, wearing a brown baseball cap, brown and beige shirt, and having a thin beard.
The getaway vehicle is described as a newer midsize silver sedan.
There have been 13 bank robberies so far in Santa Monica this year, compared to a total of 10 last year, according to the FBI.
First Federal Bank also was robbed this year on April 14 and June 29. In the June robbery, police chased the two suspects to a location in Marina del Rey. During the course of their escape, the two suspects were shot and arrested. They were transported to a nearby hospital and face prosecution.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 17, 2005. Read the original PDF.