Bank Heist Suspect Appears in Court

A 41-year-old Oxnard man suspected of being the “Bad Wig Bandit” was brought before a U.S. Magistrate judge in Santa Barbara on Friday on charges of robbing a bank in Port Hueneme.

Within the next 10 days a federal grand jury in Los Angeles is expected to hand down an indictment against Steven Richard Mendoza for the Port Hueneme robbery, said Gary Auer, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Ventura.

Mendoza was arrested by FBI agents Thursday while shopping at a store near his home, said FBI Agent Larry Dick.

Mendoza is suspected of robbing the Bank of America at 755 W. Channel Islands Blvd. in Port Hueneme on Oct. 31, 1995.

Based on surveillance camera photographs, agents believe Mendoza is responsible for seven other bank robberies in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. In most of the robberies, the bandit wore a dark cap with a wig and sported a mustache and a few days’ growth of beard.

Mendoza is suspected of robbing the First Interstate Bank at 2850 Cochran St. in Simi Valley on Nov. 21, 1995; Home Savings at 3310 Telegraph Road in Ventura on Dec. 9, 1995; Wells Fargo Bank at 270 S. Mills, Ventura, on Dec. 23, 1995; Great Western Bank at 619 W. Channel Islands Blvd., Port Hueneme, on Jan. 16; Great Western Bank at 3304 State St., Santa Barbara on Jan. 19; the First Interstate Bank at 310 S. Wells Road, Ventura, on March 15; and the Great Western Bank at 3304 State St. in Santa Barbara on June 7.