FBI Hunts 3 ‘Raiders’ Bank Bandits : Crime: The men, named for their black clothing, are suspected in five holdups in which shots have been fired and customers and employees roughed up.

FBI agents were hunting this week for three bold bank robbers

dubbed the “Raiders Gang”--who have fired shots and roughed up customers and employees during four holdups in the west San Gabriel Valley and a fifth in Gardena.

The most recent robbery took place last week at the Sanwa Bank, 1833 N. Atlantic Blvd. in South Pasadena, where the gunmen struck a pregnant employee and stole her wedding ring, FBI spokesman John Hoos said.

“They’re very violence-prone,” Hoos said. “They entered the bank, takeover style. They announced the robbery and fired two rounds, one hitting the surveillance camera in the bank and one hitting the ceiling. They verbally and physically abused customers and bank employees.”

One robber held a gun to the head of a bank employee and told other workers that he would “blow his head off” if they did not cooperate, the FBI spokesman said.

The robbers shoved employees to the floor while taking money from bank drawers. They also took personal items from the workers and customers, he said.

Hoos declined to identify the pregnant woman but said she did nothing to provoke the attack. She required hospital treatment but was not seriously injured, he said.

No one else was physically hurt in the holdup, but Hoos said the employees and customers were traumatized.

Authorities did not disclose the amount of money and other valuables taken in the holdup.

FBI investigators gave the trio its Raiders nickname because of the robbers’ black clothing and their quick and harsh holdup tactics. Because of their attire, agents also suspect that the men are gang members.

Hoos said the three robbers are also believed responsible for holdups at Union Bank in Gardena on Dec. 17, Western Federal Bank in Pasadena on Feb. 20, Highland Federal Bank in San Gabriel on March 24 and East-West Federal Bank in Alhambra on March 30.

The Raiders’ aggressive tactics were in keeping with FBI findings that violent takeover-style bank robberies in Southern California have increased 15% since September, Hoos said.