Robber Escapes With Red Dye-Splashed Cash

He wasn’t caught red-handed, but police have this much to say about a man who robbed a bank this week. He’s probably red-handed now.

The masked man, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, walked into the World Savings Bank on Monday afternoon, shoved an elderly woman to the floor, demanded money from a cashier and fled with a bag full of cash.

But before he crossed the street, police said, a dye pack secreted in the money bag exploded and ruined his cutoff sweatshirt. The FBI’s Bill Rehder said Tuesday the man’s clothes were not the only thing ruined by the red dye.

“The cash was probably rendered useless by the dye,” said Rehder, who did not disclose how much money was stolen. “There’s no place you can pass this stuff . . . [the amount of money] was nothing staggering at all.”

And it most likely takes some time for the dye to wear off.

No one was injured during the robbery of the bank at 16844 San Fernando Mission Blvd. LAPD Robbery/Homicide Det. Norm Jackson said the robber probably fled north in a blue Honda Civic. Authorities do not know if a getaway driver was in the car.

Police say there were about four customers and six employees in the bank when the lone robber entered wearing a black ski mask.

Police had no suspects Tuesday evening, but are reviewing videotapes taken by security cameras. Jackson said he did not know whether the man was linked to other recent bank robberies in the Valley.

There have been 16 bank robberies in the Valley this year, and according to local FBI statistics, such crimes are on the rise. Bank robberies are up 35% in the Valley from 1995. In particular, takeover robberies are up 73%.