FBI: Public's Help Needed To Nab "Friday Afternoon Bank Robber"
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - The FBI calls him the Friday afternoon robber -- a man the FBI says has held up 6 banks, many near the close of business on Fridays.
Federal agents also believe the thief may have struck today -- Thursday -- victimizing a Bank of America branch in Fort Lauderdale for the second time in about two months.
The FBI says that in at least two of the cases the thief has showed bank tellers a weapon. Investigators say the man looks like he's doing regular banking.
"He just blends in with the other customers," said FBI Special Agent Scott Rivas.
Rivas says the robber is always well dressed and usually wears glasses. Rivas says the thief often lingers in the bank. The FBI also says the man hasn't hurt anyone but investigators say he has shown tellers what they believe is a semi-automatic weapon tucked in his waistband.
"The fear is him getting perturbed -- things not going the way he thinks they should and he pulling the weapon out and hurting somebody," said Rivas.
The FBI also wants you to take a close look at the car the thief used in his crimes -- a dark 4 door sedan possibly a Hyundai Sonata.
The FBI believes the man is responsible for the following bank robberies:
- May 9, 2012 at Bank United in Lauderdale Lakes
- September 7, 2012 at Chase Bank in Tamarac
- October 19, 2012 at Bank of America in Tamarac
- November 2, 2012 at Bank of America in Tamarac
- December 24, 2012 at Bank of America in Fort Lauderdale
- January 4, 2013 at BB&T Bank in Tamarac
This thief is just one of many the FBI's South Florida Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force is working to capture. David Beall is the supervisor of the task force. Standing in front of the big board of bank robbery cases the task force is investigating, Beall said they are seeing more and more types of people robbing banks.
"Not only just violent people," Beall said, "people that just need the money at this point in time to pay the mortgage, buy food. However you want to look at it."
Beall says they've seen a major increase in bank robberies since 2011. He said they investigated 125 bank robbery cases in 2012.
The Friday afternoon robber appears to be a different story. Investigators say it's unusual for someone to be able to pull off these crimes for so long. Usually, the FBI says, the robber will slip up but so far this guy hasn't.
And the FBI wants him captured before he strikes again.
"We gotta get this guy off the streets," Rivas said. "It does not appear like it's a one or two time bank robbery. He's continued and I believe he's going to continue until he is caught."
If you can help the FBI solve this case, call them at 305 944 9101 or Crime Stoppers at (954) 493- TIPS.
