2, Possibly 4, of 6 Bank Robberies Done in 1 Day by the ‘A’s Bandit,’ Police Say

The “A’s bandit” struck again Friday, robbing at least two--and possibly four--San Diego banks in one day.

In all, six local banks were robbed Friday. Authorities are sure that at least two of the robberies were done by the “A’s bandit”--a robber who only in recent weeks has abandoned his trademark Oakland A’s baseball cap. And there is a definite possibility that he struck two other banks a short time later Friday, according to Police Lt. Jerry Moody.

If the bandit is responsible for all four robberies, his total would be 24 banks--and about $25,000 in loot--since Feb. 11.

“I can safely say that all four of them were probably him,” Moody said. “We don’t have everything at this point to say for sure, but it’s real close.”

At 9:27 a.m., a man believed to be the A’s bandit robbed a Bank of America branch in the 4900 block of Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach--a bank he is also suspected of robbing Feb. 15. Dressed professionally in a dark brown sweater and wearing dark sunglasses, the suspect used a note that demanded money and stated that he had a weapon. He walked off with $700.

Twenty-three minutes later, a man fitting the same general description used a similar demand note to hold up HomeFed Bank in the 1000 block of Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach, Moody said. The robber wore a gray zip-up hooded jacket and mirrored tortoise-shell sunglasses.

Then, about 10:20 a.m., the Imperial Savings branch on Ivanhoe Avenue in La Jolla became what is believed to have been the bandit’s third target of the day. The robber this time wore a bright floral shirt.

In what was possibly his fourth heist of the day, a man fitting the A’s bandit description robbed a Security Pacific Bank in the 7300 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard at 11:23 a.m., Moody said. The robber wore a white zip-up, hooded jacket and cream-colored pants.

About two hours later, a man used a handgun to rob a second Security Pacific Bank branch on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, this time in the 4000 block, Moody said. According to witnesses, the suspect in the 1:30 p.m. robbery does not fit the description of the “A’s Bandit.”

The sixth city bank robbery reported Friday took place shortly before 2 p.m. at Peninsula Bank of San Diego in the 5300 block of Napa Street, Moody said. That thief, who brandished a handgun during the heist, was described as an older male.

The amount robbed from five of the six banks was undetermined. No one was injured in any of the robberies.