Cancer patient mistaken for ‘Surgical Mask Bandit,’ bank sorry

A trip to the bank for a cancer patient wearing a protective mask ended with him being surrounded by six police officers and detained after a teller mistook him for a bank robber known as the “Surgical Mask Bandit.”

Wells Fargo Bank is donating $5,000 to cancer research after admitting a bank teller triggered the silent alarm in the Montebello branch after she mistook Joe Jaramillo for a bank robber who has targeted Orange County banks.

Jaramillo visited the Wells Fargo on Whittier and Montebello boulevards shortly after 9 a.m. on June 28. He entered the bank wearing a San Francisco Giants baseball cap and the surgical mask designed to prevent him from getting ill while receiving chemotherapy for lymphoma.

“The next thing I know, I have six Montebello police officers around me, standing there saying, ‘Can you stand up, can you put your hands above your head?’ ” Jaramillo told KCAL-TV. “What did I do? ‘Can you please stand up, sir?’ I go, ‘Really?’”

“This is so embarrassing -- you have all these people at the bank [watching],” Jaramillo told the TV station. He said he explained his situation to the teller, but she delayed helping him until police arrived.

In surveillance images released by the FBI, the Surgical Mask Bandit is seen wearing the mask, gloves, low cap and hood, a sweatshirt and jeans. But Jaramillo said the man “doesn’t look anything like me.”

When confronted about why he was wearing the mask, Jaramillo replied he was a cancer patient.

After news of the incident became public, the bank issued an apology and a donation.

“Wells Fargo extends our sincerest apologies for any embarrassment or discomfort Mr. Jaramillo experienced during his recent visit,” the bank said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the mask and hat he was wearing matched the description of a serial bank robber that has been targeting banks throughout the Southland. Our team members were on high alert, and we’re deeply sorry that Mr. Jaramillo was mistaken for the suspect the FBI refers to as the ‘Surgical Mask Bandit.’ ”

The bank added, “We feel very badly about the situation, and completely sympathize with Mr. Jaramillo as he undergoes his fight against cancer. As a sign of respect, and an act of good will, Wells Fargo is making a $5,000 donation to the cancer charity of Mr. Jaramillo’s choice.”

The so-called Surgical Mask Bandit is a suspect in two armed robberies in La Habra and San Juan Capistrano. Jaramillo’s fiancee told KNBC4 that he will donate the money to the American Cancer Society.

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