To This Robber, $5 Bills Not Worth It

A bank robber with a taste for large bills made off with an undisclosed sum Wednesday after handing back a wad of bills he considered too small, police said.

The man entered the Security Pacific Bank at 5812 Edinger Ave. shortly after 2:30 p.m. and held up a note that read, “This is a robbery,” Huntington Beach Police Lt. Jack Reinholtz said.

The robber, who did not appear to be armed, told the teller to hand over only large bills and warned her not to say anything. The woman emptied her drawer and gave the man all the money. He promptly handed back all the $5 bills, saying he did not want those, Reinholtz said.

The bewildered teller took back the bills as the robber fled on foot, clutching a roll of notes in his left hand, Reinholtz said.

The man was described as about 35 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and weighing about 150 pounds. He had a light-colored mustache, short black hair combed straight back, and was wearing jeans and a plaid flannel shirt, Reinholtz said.