Whittier felon arrested for allegedly robbing 3 banks in as many hours

A felon from Whittier who authorities say robbed three banks in just three hours has been taken into custody, and investigators are looking into whether he may be behind other bank robberies throughout Southern California.

Richard Martinez, 45, was arrested Tuesday after detectives identified him in connection with the Aug. 15 robberies. According to Los Angeles County sheriff's officials, three robberies took place in just three hours, near each other, and they shared a similar trait — a demand note.

The robberies also involved the same suspect and vehicle, a late model black convertible Chevrolet Camaro, which led detectives to identifying Martinez, sheriff's officials said.

Martinez was detained Tuesday as he was leaving a home, in the 10600 block of Reichling Lane, were detectives and FBI agents were about to serve a search warrant. Inside the home, authorities say they found a loaded pistol gripped shotgun, a loaded 9MM handgun with an extended magazine, and a demand note.

Martinez is being held on suspicion of robbery, and also faces a charge of being an ex-felon in possession of two firearms. He is being held on $50,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

The investigation into the bank robberies is ongoing, and authorities say they are also working to determine if Martinez is linked to other recent bank robberies across Southern California.