Bank robber strikes again
Description matches suspct in 8 heists
A suspected serial bank robber who uses wigs and other disguises may have struck for an eighth time, this time hitting the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union in Pearlridge yesterday.
Police would not confirm that it was same suspect but the disguise he used and other details of the robbery match details of seven other bank robberies since October.
Police said that in yesterday's case a man wearing a blond wig and hospital scrubs walked into the credit union at 98-150 Kaonohi St. at 5:45 p.m. and handed a note to a teller saying he had a gun and demanding money. The man was given an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on foot, police said.
Several details about the robbery, including the suspect being described in his 30s, hitting the bank near closing time, and the use of the wig and hospital scrubs, are similar to those in seven other Oahu bank robberies since Oct. 24.
The seventh occurred on June 2 at the Kaneohe branch of Central Pacific Bank at 45-1151 Kamehameha Highway. The suspect wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, jeans and a T-shirt smeared with paint. The suspect allegedly pulled out a knife and demanded money. After receiving the cash, he fled and was last seen heading toward Lilipuna Road on foot.
The suspect wore a blond wig and a fake beard during the May 18 robbery of American Savings Bank in Pearl City. He was also seen wearing hospital scrubs twice, during the April 14 robbery at the Mililani American Savings Bank and again on April 25 while robbing the Hickam Federal Credit Union in Kapolei.
Besides yesterday's bank robbery and the one on June 2, the list includes the following:
» May 18, American Savings Bank, 850 Kamehameha Highway, Pearl City. Police said he approached the teller and demanded money while wearing a fake beard and blond wig. During the robbery, the suspect jumped onto the counter and tried to grab the cash drawer. The branch manager threatened to call police, and the suspect fled.
» April 25, Hickam Federal Credit Union, 590 Farrington Highway, Kapolei. The suspect walked into the bank, brandished a knife and demanded money, then fled with it. Witnesses said he was wearing a salt-and-pepper wig, blue hospital scrubs and sunglasses.
» April 14, American Savings Bank, 1249 Meheula Parkway, Mililani. The robber took out a pocketknife, demanded money and fled. He was wearing what appeared to be blue hospital scrubs and a fake beard.
» Dec. 22, Central Pacific Bank, 94-615 Kupuohi St., Royal Kunia in Waipahu. The suspect walked into the bank and demanded money from a teller. He was described as wearing a construction worker's outfit with a dark-colored hard hat, gloves, and an orange and yellow safety vest, along with a fake beard and a do-rag on his head.
» Dec. 19, Hickam Federal Credit Union, 590 Farrington Highway, Kapolei. The suspect walked into the bank, demanded money and fled with it. Witnesses said he was wearing camouflage pants, a fake beard, a do-rag and a black baseball cap.
» Oct. 24, American Savings Bank, 99-115 Aiea Heights Drive, Aiea. A robber demanded money and fled with it. Police said the suspect had bleached blond hair and wore a baseball cap and black button-down shirt.