Robbers Hit 5 Banks in Single Day

Five banks were robbed Friday in what may be a record for bank holdups in the city of San Diego, police reported.

Two of the robbers may be responsible for previous San Diego-area bank holdups, said Bill Robinson, a San Diego police spokesman.

The first holdup occurred at 10:05 a.m. at Home Federal Savings Bank branch at 905 Pearl St., La Jolla. Witnesses told police that a man wearing a Panama hat aimed a gun at a teller and demanded money. He escaped with $777, Robinson said.

At 11 a.m., a white male in his early 30s fired a shot into the ceiling of the Southwest Bank branch at 16796 Bernardo Center Drive, then escaped with more than $2,000, Robinson said, adding that this man is believed to have committed other robberies.

Shortly after 2 p.m., a red-haired man in his mid-20s told a teller at the World Savings & Loan branch at 7616 Girard Ave., La Jolla, that he was armed with gun and escaped with an undetermined amount of cash.

Less than an hour later the California First Bank branch at 2927 University Ave. was robbed of more than $1,000 by a man in his mid-30s. Robinson said the same man may have committed previous holdups in San Diego.

The last holdup occurred at 3:40 p.m. at the Bank of America branch at 737 University Ave. A man in his early 30s, carrying a blue duffel bag, told tellers he had a gun and escaped with an undetermined amount of cash.