Crime & Safety
'Beer Gut Bandit' Strikes Again With Note Claiming He Has a Bomb
He's suspected of robbing a Wells Fargo office on Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa on July 5 and three banks since.
Authorities asked the public Tuesday for help in identifying a paunchy thief thought to have carried out four San Diego-area bank robberies this month.
During the crimes, the man gave tellers demand notes in which he claimed to be armed with a concealed bomb, according to the FBI.
The man, dubbed the "Beer Gut Bandit" by investigators, is suspected of robbing a Wells Fargo office on Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa on July 5; a US Bank on Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon last Tuesday; a Bank of America on Balboa Avenue in San Diego the following day; and a Wells Fargo branch on Avocado Boulevard in El Cajon on Saturday.
Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Witnesses have described the thief as a roughly 215-pound white man in his mid-50s with a protruding belly, ruddy complexion, acne scars, graying black hair, mustache and goatee. He wore eyeglasses and carried a blue or green tote bag during the heists.
Anyone with information about the robberies was asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
—City News Service
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