Dana Point bank robbery suspect found dead after pursuit is identified; investigators still exploring possible link to heists in Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar

A Las Vegas man was identified Tuesday as the suspect in a Dana Point bank robbery who was found dead at the end of a SWAT standoff in Rancho Santa Margarita on Friday.

The Orange County coroner’s office said Scott Harrison, 62, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The FBI said authorities are continuing to investigate whether Harrison was the “Leatherface Bandit” linked to three previous heists in Orange County.

The other robberies occurred March 7 at a OneWest Bank in Corona del Mar, March 8 at a Citibank in Costa Mesa and April 9 at an Opus Bank in Yorba Linda, according to the FBI.

“Based on the [modus operandi] and description, we believe it’s very possibly the same individual,” FBI spokeswoman Laure Eimiller said Friday.

The “Leatherface Bandit” generally wore a realistic mask depicting an elderly man and brandished a handgun during the crimes, officials said. All but the Yorba Linda heist were described as “takeover” robberies, in which the man robbed multiple tellers at each bank.

Gunman in ‘Hollywood-style’ mask is sought in bank robberies in Corona del Mar and Costa Mesa »

Friday’s robbery in Dana Point occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at Pacific Western Bank at 34180 Pacific Coast Highway, Eimiller said. In that case, as well as in the Corona del Mar hold-up, the robber was seen using a bicycle to get away.

After obtaining an undetermined amount of cash, the robber rode away and stashed the bike in the bed of a pickup and drove off, officials said.

“We had a witness who gave a description of the getaway vehicle,” said FBI Special Agent Christopher Gicking. Orange County sheriff’s deputies found the truck and pursued it to Rancho Santa Margarita.

The truck crashed into a parked car while making a U-turn and came to a stop at about 5 p.m. at Avenida de las Banderas and Avenida Empresa, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

A SWAT team tried to communicate with the suspect, police said. Authorities announced he was found dead about 45 minutes later.