Not all of the bank robbers got away with money
The man authorities believe robbed a Santa Monica bank last week has hit at least 14 others in the Los Angeles area in the past six weeks.
Called by the FBI as the “Both Hands Bandit,” because he uses both hands to hold up the demand note, has allegedly been on a bank robbery spree since Aug. 13.
“That’s a lot of robberies in a short time,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley said.
The bandit’s last job occurred on Sept. 20 at First Federal Bank, which marked Santa Monica’s 10th bank robbery this year. Bosley said while it appears to be a lot, it’s pretty typical. In 2001, Santa Monica had 18 bank robberies, she added.
Santa Monica may be a target for bank robbers because the city is condensed into eight square miles or because it has a high concentration of financial institutions.
“The city is crowded so it would be easy to blend in but also it makes for more witnesses so it’s a doubled edged sword,” Bosley said. “There is no way to determine what’s going through a bank robber’s mind.”
Santa Monica also is known for its affluence, which may be another attraction for bank robbers.
“There’s a perception that there is more money in Santa Monica,” Bosley said. “But we don’t see serial robbers in Santa Monica... They usually hit one and don’t come back.”
In last Saturday’s robbery, the bandit wore a light blue fisherman’s cap and sunglasses. He approached a teller with a note that said, “You are being robbed. I want your hundreds, fifties and twenties,” Bosley said. No weapon was ever produced — a common practice used by bank robbers. Bank tellers are trained to comply with the robber’s demands, regardless if a weapon is not visible.
“We have to assume that they have a weapon and tellers are told to comply so it doesn’t escalate the violence,” Bosley said. “(Robbers) use either a demand note or they literally take the bank over and hold it hostage. They are less common but they have been on the increase, which concerns us.”
Bosley said it’s the FBI’s policy not to disclose how much money is taken from the banks, but it’s usually a small amount.
“These bank robbers are going to jail for a long time, especially if they use a gun,” she said, adding that there is an automatic five-year jail sentence if a gun is used in the robbery. “That’s federal time so there’s no parole... It’s not worth it for a small amount of money.”
Here is a rundown of this year’s bank robberies in Santa Monica. ■ Feb. 19 — US Bank, 400 Wilshire Blvd. 4:08 p.m. A bank employee called Santa Monica Police officers reporting a bank robbery in progress. Officers arrived at the scene in less than two minutes. Witnesses then pointed out the suspect, who was walking away from a parked car in the alley. The suspect, a black male, was arrested. Police found a sack of cash and hand gun replica in his car. ■ April 17 — Wells Fargo, 2444 Wilshire Blvd. 10:30 a.m. Calvin Tyrone Combs, a 36-year-old transient, was stopped at gun-point by several Santa Monica Police officers at 21st Street and Wilshire Boulevard after he allegedly pointed a rifle at a Wells Fargo bank teller and fled on foot with more than $1,000. He left the bank, allegedly dumped the rifle in a trash can and headed west on Wilshire Boulevard before he was caught. ■ May 12 — US Bank, 400 Wilshire Blvd. 4:57 p.m. Suspect is described to be in his early 20s, wearing sunglasses, a silver piercing with two balls on the end of his left eyebrow, white T-shirt with a black native Indian symbol, and black and blue jeans. He threatened the teller with a weapon. His demand note read, “I have a gun. Give me $10,000 in cash right now.”
The teller said that all of her money had been taken and the bandit replied, “Oh really?” and walked out of the bank cash-less. ■ May 28 — Bank of America, 1301 Fourth St. 11: 58 a.m. The suspect is described as a white male, 35 years old, dirty blonde hair, stocky build. He had a goatee, circle tattoo on the back of his left hand and small tatoos on his fingers. He carried a large duffle bag. His demand note said, “I have a gun in my bag. Give me all the money in your cash drawer and no will get hurt.” He stood at the counter while the teller advised the manager of the robbery. He left the bank after waiting a short while. ■ June 18 — Washington Mutual, 1333 Fourth St. 2:40 p.m. The suspect is described as male Hispanic, between 35 and 40 years old, 5’, 2”, 130 pounds, dark complexion, thin build and a mustache. He spoke with a thick accent and produced a weapon. He told the teller, “ Robbery, hurry. Give me the note.” The demand note read, “I have a gun, give me all your cash and loose change. Don’t talk to anyone.” ■ June 23 — US Bank, 3302 Pico Blvd. 2: 55 p.m. The suspect is described as a male black, in his early 30s, 5’4”, chubby with short black afro hair and a dark complexion. His demand note said, “Give me all the hundreds, fifties and twenties and no bait.” ■ Sept. 20 — First Federal Bank, 401 Wilshire Blvd.
The “Both Hands Bandit” strikes again.
The other banks robbed, but no information was available by presstime: ■ Jan. 14 — US Bank, 1401 Wilshire Blvd. ■ Feb. 11 — First Federal Bank, 1630 Montana Ave. The bank also was robbed last October. ■ April 11 — US Bank, 2221 Santa Monica Blvd.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 29, 2003. Read the original PDF.