San Diego

FBI Searching for β€˜Skinny Bandit' in Bank Robbery Series

The man was dubbed the Skinny Bandit because of his tall, lanky frame

The FBI on Friday is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who robbed two banks in the San Diego area and attempted to rob another.

The man, dubbed the Skinny Bandit because of his tall, lanky frame, used a demand note threatening to shoot the bank clerk and customers if the clerk did not comply, the agency said. No weapon was ever seen.

On Sunday, the bandit robbed a US Bank in the 9400 block of Mira Mesa Boulevard, near In-N-Out in Mira Mesa. He was wearing dark grey jack, dark colored long sleeved shirt, long pants, a black baseball cap and sunglasses.

After the heist, the suspect went to a nearby fast-food restaurant and changed into a white T-shirt and light grey shorts and no longer wearing the cap or sunglasses, the FBI said.

Three days later, around 4 p.m. the same suspect robbed a Chase Bank at the 1400 block of Main Street, near Albertsons, the agency said. In that robbery, he was wearing a black hat, dark-colored long-sleeve shirt, long pants, sunglasses and held a bandana to over his face.

Two days after that robbery, the suspect attempted to rob a Bank of America in the same shopping complex as the Chase Bank, the federal agency said. The bandit walked in around 12:30 p.m. and was made to wait behind other customers in line. Ge then became nervous and fled, the FBI said.

The robber was wearing a black baseball hat, dark-colored long-sleeve shirt, dark pants, sunglasses and was also covering his face with a bandana.

He was described as a 6-foot to 6-foot-6 black man in his mid-20s to 30s who weighs 140 to 270 pounds.

Anyone with information about any of the robberies was asked to call San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or online at sdcrimestoppers.org.

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