Police Suspect Serial Robber in Bank Heist

A suspected serial bank robber hit again Tuesday at a Fountain Valley branch.

A man believed to be the so-called “San Juan Surfer” entered the World Savings & Loan in the 16100 block of Harbor Boulevard about noon and demanded cash from a teller, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Dann Bean said.

The man claimed to have a gun, but no weapon was seen, investigators said.

The robber fled on a dark-colored motorcycle heading south on Harbor Boulevard. He was wearing a red helmet and a black long-sleeve T-shirt. He was described as white, in his 20s and wearing a black baseball cap and dark sunglasses.

Investigators said the bandit matched the description of the robber dubbed the San Juan Surfer by FBI agents tracking his exploits. He is wanted in connection with at least seven other stickups in Huntington Beach and South County in recent months.

Tuesday’s robbery in Fountain Valley was the first of two unrelated bank heists.

About 3:30 p.m., a man approached a teller at Huntington Beach’s Great Western Bank in the 16100 block of Beach Boulevard and threatened to shoot unless the clerk handed over cash, police said.

The robber stole an undisclosed amount of cash and fled in a dark burgundy sedan, Huntington Beach police Lt. Gary Brooks said. One of the guards working at the bank tried to chase him, but the suspected robber got away, Brooks said.

Investigators described the man as Latino, about 5-feet-10 with a thin build. He was wearing a beige-and-white hat and a beige shirt.