Authorities sought the public’s help Tuesday in identifying a man wanted in a series of bank robberies since May, including an attempt at a La Jolla-area bank branch Monday and two others in San Diego County.
The attempted holdup was reported shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday. The suspect passed a demand note to a teller at the Union Bank at 7807 Girard Ave. but fled empty-handed after the employee refused to hand over any cash, according to San Diego police and the FBI.
The suspect – dubbed the “Hills Bandit” by the FBI – headed north and successfully held up a Wells Fargo branch in Laguna Niguel Monday afternoon, according to FBI spokeswoman Emily Yeh. That robbery was the eighth linked to the suspect in the past four months, she said.
In Monday’s robbery, the bandit also used a demand note and claimed to be armed, though he did not show a weapon, Yeh said.
The Hills Bandit is also suspected of robbing
- California Bank and Trust, in the 4300 block of La Jolla Village Drive on Aug. 25
- Wells Fargo in Laguna Niguel on Aug. 22
- U.S. Bank in Laguna Hills on Aug. 8
- U.S. Bank in Carlsbad on Aug. 5;
- Citibank locations in Lake Forest and Laguna Hills on July 25 and July 16, respectively,
- Wells Fargo in Laguna Hills on May 6.
The FBI described the suspect as white, 40-50 years old, wearing glasses and a baseball cap. During Monday’s crimes, he wore a red Los Angeles Angels baseball cap.
Anyone with more information about the robberies was asked to call the FBI at (858) 320-1800 or (310) 477-6565, or to contact San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
