2 Banks Robbed in Separate Incidents

Lone robbers have struck banks in Fillmore and Ventura, bringing the number of bank robberies in Ventura County to four so far this year, the FBI said Thursday.

A man described as having a noticeable scar above his left eye entered a branch of Household Bank on Telegraph Road in Ventura at 3 p.m. Wednesday and handed a demand note to a teller, said FBI Special Agent Gary Auer.

He fled after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash.

The robber, who witnesses said appeared to be in his 30s and about 5 feet, 9 inches in height and about 160 pounds, did not display a weapon, Auer said.

Just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, a man entered the Wells Fargo Bank branch on Ventura Street in Fillmore, acted as if he had a gun in his pocket and demanded money from a teller, Auer said.

He fled on foot after receiving an undisclosed amount of money.

The robber disguised his appearance by pulling a knit cap down over his face, with eye holes cut from the material. Witnesses described the man as 5 feet, 10 inches in height with a medium build.

No customers were in the bank at the time, and investigators are still evaluating film from a security camera.

Auer said the suspects do not appear to match the description of other suspects in recent Ventura County bank robberies.

“In my opinion, we have two new players,” Auer said.

There were 45 bank robberies in the county in 1993, and 98 in 1992.