Van Nuys Man Suspected Of Robbing Banks As 'Baggy Eyes Bandit'
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A man suspected of being the so-called "Baggy Eyes Bandit" has been charged in connection with seven robberies and attempted robberies throughout Southern California.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles charged 29-year-old Artur Stepanyan, of Van Nuys, with two bank robberies – one in Placentia on March 4 and an attempted robbery in Anaheim on Aug. 27.
According to federal officials, the robber handed the teller a note demanding cash and claiming that he had a gun during the Placentia robbery.
Stepanyan was arrested at the scene of the Anaheim robbery Saturday, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. He was turned over to the custody of federal officials Tuesday morning before his initial appearance before a federal magistrate.
The Baggy Eyes Bandit, named because several witnesses described him as having "baggy eyes," has been linked to seven robberies and attempted robberies at Citibank branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties as far back as February.
