Stayed Around Too Long, Police Say : Suspect in 17 Bank Robberies Jailed

A man police believe has been involved in at least 17 Orange County bank robberies in the past three months--most of them in Santa Ana--made the mistake of “sticking around the same place too long,” authorities said Friday.

James C. Frazier, 37, was arrested outside a fast-food store in Santa Ana on Thursday, less than two hours after the West 17th Street branch of First Interstate Bank of California had been held up for the second time since January by what witnesses described as the same robber.

Frazier, who had been released from San Quentin State Prison a year ago after serving a term for a robbery conviction and was being sought for a parole violation, was also being sought by the FBI in connection with three bank robberies, according to Santa Ana Police Investigator William Ehart.

According to Ehart, the robber “was laughing at the tellers by the time of the last two or three bank robberies. It had turned into a game to him. He was having fun.”

Frazier, whose last known address was a Santa Ana motel, was arrested on a drug charge at 1:40 p.m. Thursday, less than two hours after $670 was taken from the bank. Officers said they had found a gram of cocaine and estimated $90 worth of heroin in Frazier’s possession.

Following three back-to-back bank robberies in Santa Ana last January, police began to suspect Frazier, based on information they had received from the FBI, Ehart said. “Through information we received from the FBI as early as January, we knew his first name was James,” Ehart said. “Then we obtained a mug photo and got a positive ID on him.” Several police stakeouts failed to produce any results. Then about two weeks ago, Ehart said, “We noticed he was beginning to hit some of the same banks he had hit before.”

Ehart said police were certain that the First Interstate Bank branch, which had been robbed Jan. 12 by someone fitting Frazier’s description, would be held up again and had planned a surveillance to start around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, because most of the previous robberies had occurred in the afternoon. However, the robbery happened at 11:55 a.m., according to Ehart.

Police “flooded the area” immediately after the robbery because they thought the suspect was somewhere nearby, Ehart said, and Officers Dave Oliver and Richard Flores arrested Frazier a short time later as he walked through a restaurant parking lot on East 17th Street.

Sgt. Joseph E. Brann said that although Frazier was being held by Santa Ana police on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, he will eventually be turned over to federal authorities.

Police said $2,500 or less had been taken in the previous robberies.