Crime & Safety

Geezer Bandit Strikes Again

Bank robber believed to be behind almost a dozen heists in San Diego County hits a bank in San Luis Obispo.

The Geezer Bandit has apparently struck again, this time in San Luis Obispo, FBI agents said Saturday.

The latest robbery believed to have been committed by the active senior citizen was at about 5:40 p.m. Friday, when the gray-haired suspect pointed a revolver at a teller at the Bank of America branch on Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, according to FBI Special Agent Darrell Foxworth.

The SLO robbery is the 16th robbery in series that dates back to August 2009, and it came just over two months after the bandit allegedly robbed a Wells Fargo branch inside the Vons grocery store on Girard Avenue in La Jolla on Sept. 30, Foxworth said. There, the robber pointed a revolver at a teller then left with an undisclosed amount, he said.

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The bandit was described by witnesses to previous crimes as a white male between 60 and 70 years old, although he may have worn a mask and rubber gloves to disguise himself. He was between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall, and about 190 to 200 pounds with an average build. He carried a black revolver pistol in his left hand.

The Geezer Bandit was believed responsible for the following robberies in San Diego County:

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  • Sept. 30, the Wells Fargo at 7544 Girard Ave. in La Jolla.
  • June 7, 2010, the U.S. Bank at 14837 Pomerado Rd. in Poway.
  • May 11, 2010, the Bank of America at 9711 Mission Gorge Rd. in Santee.
  • April 30, 2010, the U.S. Bank at 1301 East Vista Way in Vista.
  • April 20, 2010, the California Bank and Trust at 140 Escondido Ave.
    in Vista.
  • Jan. 27, 2010, the San Diego National Bank at 1075 Rosecrans St. in
    Point Loma.
  • Nov. 16, 2009, the Bank of America at 7680 Girard Ave. in La Jolla.
  • Oct. 26, 2009, the Bank of America at 17008 Avenida de Acacias in
    Rancho Santa Fe.
  • Oct. 9, 2009, U.S. Bank, 4627 Carmel Mountain Rd., Carmel Valley.
  • Sept. 12, 2009, the San Diego National Bank at 7877 Ivanhoe Ave. in
    La Jolla.
  • Aug. 28, 2009, the U.S. Bank at 9643 Mission Gorge Rd. in Santee.

The bandit was also believed to be responsible for robberies in Temecula, Bakersfield, Goleta and Morro Bay, according to the FBI.

Since 2009, the San Diego and Los Angeles FBI offices, the San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and other state law enforcement agencies have sought the public’s help in identifying the bandit.

The FBI asked anyone with information about the bandit to call (858) 565-1255 or contact a local law enforcement agency.

-City News Service


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