Police Publicize Hunt for 3 Bank Robbers

A man known as the Groundhog Bandit is considered one of the most dangerous bank robbers in Los Angeles.

Hoping to stop him before he hits again, police sought the public’s assistance Monday in catching the man suspected of 22 bank robberies that date back to Groundhog Day 1995. Police also are looking for help finding two men responsible for eight other bank robberies.

Although the Groundhog Bandit began in the San Fernando Valley, his last three holdups have been at banks downtown, Los Angeles Police Department officials said.

The robber is becoming increasingly threatening and appears to be driven by drug addiction, police said. He used to only pass notes to tellers, demanding money. But in his most recent job, on Feb. 26, he showed a gun.

“As he fuels that drug habit, he becomes more and more dangerous,” Det. Mike Mejia of the Robbery-Homicide Division told reporters. “We have to stop him.”

The Los Angeles region is considered the bank robbery capital of the nation. Authorities say its sprawling freeway system, large population and many financial institutions make it more prone to bank robberies than other places.

“Once you come out of a bank here, it’s kind of easy to blend in and get lost,” said LAPD Lt. Jim Grayson.

There were 694 bank robberies in the seven Southern California counties in 2000, up 8% from 639 in 1999, according to FBI data. More than 400 of last year’s robberies were in Los Angeles County.

The 694 figure is far below the record 2,641 robberies reported in Southern California in 1992, FBI data show.

At their news conference Monday, police described the Groundhog Bandit as about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and about 170 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and a small scar on his left cheek.

Police dubbed the other two robbers the California Mart Bank Robber and the Central Area Bank Bandit because each has robbed four banks downtown. They last struck in January.

The California Mart suspect is in his mid-30s with black hair, brown eyes, a goatee and a tattoo on his neck, police said. He is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 170 to 200 pounds.

The Central Area robber also has black hair and brown eyes and is in his mid-30s. He is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call LAPD detectives at (213) 485-0780, or at (213) 485-2505 after hours or on weekends.