Same Robber Suspected in 2 Bank Heists

Within half an hour, an armed robber dressed in a sport coat and tie hit two Union Banks in South County and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money, authorities said Saturday.

Orange County sheriff’s deputies said the man first entered a Union Bank in Laguna Niguel about 11:30 a.m. Friday and slipped a note demanding money to the bank teller. He took off and about 30 minutes later, a man with a similar description walked into a San Juan Capistrano branch.

This time, the robber slid a note to the teller and displayed a handgun tucked in his waistband. He remains at large, Sheriff’s Lt. Lynn Nehring said.

“Looking at the amount, he did pretty well for payday,” said Nehring, who did not reveal the amount taken in the robberies.

The man was described as white, with light brown hair, about 6 feet and weighing 180 to 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray sport coat, a light blue shirt, and a red and blue tie.

In an unrelated heist, two men robbed $300 from a Burger King in Costa Mesa about 5 p.m. Friday, Police Sgt. Bob Phillips said.

The two men, one armed with a handgun, walked up to the restaurant’s front counter and demanded money from the cash register. The men fled in a dark van, heading south on Harbor Boulevard, Phillips said.

The armed robber was described as Hispanic, in his 30s, about 5 feet 8, 160 pounds, with black hair with gray streaks in it. The second man was described as 5 feet 10, 150 pounds, with a black mustache and wearing a black jacket and pants.