GLENDALE : ‘Cowboy Bandit’ Sought in 5th Heist

A bank robber known as the “Stetson Bandit” or “Cowboy Bandit” has struck again, robbing an Eagle Rock bank Monday, police said. But they added that he may have been foiled in an attempted heist because a bank teller recognized him.

The suspect, who was already being sought in four Glendale-area robberies, was seen standing in line Friday afternoon at Home Savings, 620 N. Brand Blvd. A teller alerted the bank’s manager after recognizing the man from a picture in a pamphlet distributed by police to local banks. The man disappeared before police could be summoned.

A short while later, a man matching the suspect’s description robbed a Bank of America branch in nearby Eagle Rock, escaping with an unknown amount of cash, said Glendale Police Agent Rod Brooks.

“At both Home Savings and the Bank of America, the description we received from witnesses was the same, a white male with brown hair,” Brooks said.

In his first three crimes, the suspect was seen wearing a cowboy hat and Western-style shirt, and sporting a thin mustache and beard. But since Sept. 10, when he robbed about $3,000 from a Great Western Bank branch in Glendale, the suspect has apparently dropped his cowboy disguise and now masks himself only with a pair of sunglasses, police said.

The amount of money the suspect has taken in each crime has varied from several hundred dollars to about $3,000.

Since releasing a photograph of the man to the media and to local banks last week, Brooks said, Glendale police have received “numerous workable leads” from across Los Angeles County.

“This suspect is bold to continue committing crimes in the area even after his picture has been seen, but he’s also been very successful so far,” Brooks said.

“But with a person showing up as often as he does, ultimately he’s going to blunder, and that’s when we’ll catch him.”