All units: Be on the lookout for a suspect with rainbow-colored hair, a large red nose and heavy white makeup. Halloween provides cover
for bank robberPolice say the suspect may be
responsible for 2 other robberiesBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.comThat may have been the all-points bulletin yesterday after a man in clown makeup robbed the American Savings Bank in the Market City Shopping Center in Kaimuki.
But the suspect was obviously not clowning around. Police say the man entered the American Savings Bank branch, just inside the entrance to the Market City Foodland at 2919 Harding Ave., at about 10:26 a.m. and demanded money from a teller. No weapon was shown.
CRIMESTOPPERS
The suspect in yesterday's bank robbery, above, wasn't just clowning around.
Despite the robber's Halloween costume, a witness recognized the robber, and police say they believe he is the same man who robbed the same branch on Sept. 28 and the Bank of Hawaii branch in the Star Market at Kamehameha Shopping Center on Oct. 19. He was described as a man in his early 20s, 6 feet tall, weighing 200 pounds with a muscular build, blond hair and blue eyes.
He was wearing white face paint, a multicolored clown wig, dark bandana, long-sleeved blue and yellow shirt, denim shorts and dark athletic shoes.
"I thought something like this might happen -- it's Halloween," said teller Marcus Tanaka.
Teller Crystal Kuahanui said the man's eyes were "blue blue," and he "sounded local; he didn't sound like he came from the mainland."
"This isn't the first time I've heard of a clown robbing a bank," said Foodland courtesy clerk Shawn Labritton, who was dressed as a wizard with a fake beard and black, hooded robe. "If someone's gonna steal from a bank, they'll wear a costume anyway."
On hearing about the clown caper, shopper Sabrina Ronan, who was dressed as Janis Joplin, explained she shopped at Foodland almost every day. "It kind of makes you nervous, but we'll come back," she said.
