San Diego : Police Figure Thief Will Be Red-Handed
A bank robber who grabbed a wad of cash and ran out the door of a Great Western Bank branch Tuesday kept a firm grip on his take, even after a dye pack exploded in his hands and burned them, police said.
The dye packs are designed to stain both the cash and the hands of thieves with indelible red ink, but also cause heat blisters, San Diego police spokesman Bill Robinson said.
The suspect walked into the bank at 3035 El Cajon Blvd. about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and handed a teller a note in pencil telling her to “Put all the money in a bag,” Robinson said. The man did not appear to have a weapon, he said.
When the teller told him she didn’t have a bag, he asked for the money anyway. He got $1,690--along with an exploding dye pack, Robinson said.
A teller chased the man down an alley, following a trail of smoke from the dye pack.
The suspect got into an older model two-door gray Cutlass, driven by an accomplice, Robinson said.
Police had not tracked him down Tuesday evening, but his hands are probably red and blistered, Robinson said.
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