2nd Bank of America Branch Is Robbed

Another Ventura County bank was held up Wednesday morning, the third bank robbery in two days.

The Bank of America at 9493 Telephone Road in Ventura was robbed about 9:40 a.m. by a man wearing a dark ski mask. He is believed to be the same man who robbed the Bank of America on Main Street in Ventura on Tuesday morning, said Gary Auer, supervising agent for the FBI.

Also on Tuesday, an Oxnard branch of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust was robbed by two men, but authorities do not see any connection to the two Bank of America heists.

The suspect in Tuesday’s robbery in Ventura wore a red hooded sweatshirt and cut-off jeans and claimed he had a bomb. On Wednesday, he showed a gun and forced three tellers to hand over an undisclosed amount of cash, Auer said. The robber’s manner and his general appearance seemed to be the same in both incidents, Auer said.

The gunman in Wednesday’s robbery was described as white and was wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt with dark baggy pants. He ran to a getaway car driven by an accomplice. There was no description of the driver, but the car is described as either a brown or copper-colored, four-door Honda.

FBI officials believe that a purple dye pack inside the money wrapping may have exploded inside the car, staining the car and both individuals with purple dye.