Masked Man Robs American Savings

A masked man wanted in three bank robberies in Ventura County in recent months struck again Friday, robbing two tellers at gunpoint at a branch of American Savings Bank, authorities said.

FBI Special Agent Gary Auer said the Ventura robbery occurred at 2:20 p.m. at the bank at 1860 S. Victoria Ave. It was the latest in what appears to be a string of robberies by the same man that began Dec. 4, he said.

“He entered the bank with the weapon showing, a small silver handgun, and announced to customers, ‘This is a robbery, give me money. No small stuff,’ ” Auer said.

The tellers gave the man an undetermined amount of cash, which he stuffed in his shirt before running away, Auer said. Some of the bills dropped to the ground as he ran, authorities said.

As he ran through the bank parking lot, the robber removed the ski mask, Auer said.

No shots were fired and no one was injured, authorities said.

The man is described as white, in his early 20s, 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds with sandy brown hair. He was wearing a blue ski mask, black pants and a long-sleeved plaid shirt, Auer said.

The man is wanted in two other bank robberies in Ventura and a third in Camarillo.

In Ventura, he allegedly robbed the Bank of America at 9493 Telephone Road on Dec. 4 and American Commercial Bank at 300 S. Mills Road on Feb. 10, Auer said.

He is also wanted in a holdup at California Federal Bank at 430 Arneill Road in Camarillo on Jan. 29, Auer said.