Officers Link Suspect to 13 Bank Robberies

A Compton man suspected of committing 13 bank robberies during the last six months was arrested Monday after a bank holdup in an unincorporated area near Carson, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputy Hal Grant said Mark Kenneth Barbee, 26, was arrested after a robber fled with $400 from the Bank of America branch at 118 E. Rosecrans Ave. at about 10:50 a.m. No weapon was used, Grant said.

Deputies responding to a silent alarm were flagged down by a man who directed them to a nearby recycling center where Barbee was found in a parked car. Grant said booking officers discovered that Barbee had two outstanding warrants for his arrest, one for desertion from the Navy and the other for bank robbery. He is also a suspect in bank robberies in Gardena, Moreno Valley, Compton and Long Beach.