THOUSAND OAKS : 3rd Bank in 3 Days Is Held Up

In Ventura County’s third bank robbery in three days, a bandit held up a Thousand Oaks bank branch Friday evening, authorities said.

The robber passed a note to a teller at a First Interstate Bank branch at 3965 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. that said only “robbery,” FBI Supervising Agent Gary Auer said.

The man claimed to have a gun, but no weapon was seen, Auer said. The robber threatened to shoot the teller if she did not give him money, Auer said.

The robber fled on foot after placing the money in a plastic shopping bag, Auer said.

The robbery was Ventura County’s 47th of the year, which contrasts with an average of 55 holdups annually over the past decade.

Robbers struck banks in Port Hueneme on Wednesday and Westlake Village on Thursday. The crimes are not thought to be related, Auer said.