Suspect arrested in ‘Coach Bandit’ case

With the help of the FBI, police have arrested the man they say robbed several Southern California banks this year.

Cypress police arrested James Ramsdell, 43, at his home early Wednesday. According to police, Ramsdell is the “Assistant Coach Bandit,” who robbed a Washington Mutual in Costa Mesa in September and a Downey Savings Bank in Huntington Beach in August.

Ramsdell also robbed a bank this week in a San Diego County suburb where a witness caught a glimpse of his license plate, leading them to Ramsdell, according to the FBI officials. In other robberies, witnesses had not seen the robber get into a car.

The suspect was called the “Assistant Coach Bandit” because of the baseball hats he’d wear during robberies, authorities said.

“[Ramsdell] is well-known in the community, coaching baseball teams,” said Cypress Sgt. Tom Bruce.

— Joseph Serna