Hi-ho Silva,
awayyyyy

Police say he fled today's robbery
on a bus; but is captured
soon after

By Linda Aragon
Star-Bulletin

FBI agents were waiting for elusive bank robber Wallace Silva today when he showed up at his girlfriend's home at Mayor Wright Housing about an hour after he allegedly robbed a Kaimuki bank.

Silva tried to flee but was tackled by two FBI agents. One of the agents suffered a minor arm injury, FBI spokesman John Pikus said.

Silva, 43, was arrested at 10:45 a.m.

At 9:40 a.m., a man fitting Silva's description robbed the Kaimuki branch of American Savings and took a cab to Pua Lane, near Mayor Wright Housing in Kalihi.

FBI spokesman Neil Smith had inititally said the robber was last seen boarding a bus after the heist this morning.

Smith said no other details about today's robbery were available. Police said they issued an all-points bulletin for bus drivers to be on the lookout for Silva.

Investigators said a similar getaway vehicle was used after a bank robbery yesterday, when a suspect -- also believed to be Silva -- hopped on a city bus after holding up the Bank of Honolulu's Kapiolani branch.

After previous holdups, Silva eluded law enforcement authorities by fleeing on a bicycle or on foot, the FBI has said.

Silva was wanted in connection with six bank robberies, a robbery at a hotel and an attempted armed robbery at a department store in recent weeks.

He has been charged with:

the May 27 robbery of the Bank of America's Kapiolani branch;

the May 29 robbery of Bank of Hawaii's Discovery Bay branch.

Also, police and FBI agents say Silva is a suspect in:

the June 17 holdup of the Bank of Hawaii's Kapahulu branch;

Wednesday's robbery of the Bank of Hawaii's Mapunapuna branch;

yesterday's bank robbery;

a robbery Saturday at Marc Suites Waikiki Royal hotel and an attempted robbery at Sears Ala Moana hours later on Saturday.

While pedaling from the scene of the Discovery Bay robbery, Silva was involved in a traffic accident, and he was arrested and taken into custody, police said.

He was taken to Queen's Hospital after complaining of injuries, and doctors there said he had a broken hip and would need to be confined for three weeks.

While in custody, Silva allegedly admitted to FBI agents that he committed the May 29 robbery.

In a mixup at the hospital, Silva was left unguarded. Police said he walked out of the hospital the next day.