Big-spending
tenant arrested
for bank heists

The suspect in three robberies
apparently went on a buying
spree with his newly acquired cash

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

One day after a gunman robbed City Bank's Kapiolani branch, a new tenant moved into the Winds 2 apartment building in McCully.

"He gave me over $500 cash for the deposit and three weeks rent," Hazel Newman said, referring to Jacob Kline, who was arrested yesterday at about 8 a.m. by FBI agents and police outside his second-floor unit at 2312 Lime St.

Kline, 31, was charged with robbing three banks in 10 days, starting with the Aug. 10 holdup of City Bank on Kapiolani. He also is charged with robbing First Hawaiian Bank's Kapiolani branch on Aug. 13 and City Bank in McCully on Thursday.

Kline told her he was a carpenter, Newman said.

"He always seemed to have money to buy things," Newman added. "I know he bought a new bike and stereo set."

According to an affidavit filed in federal court yesterday by FBI special agent James Tamura-Wageman, Kline received $7,508 in the three robberies, including $3,613 from the first one.

Ho Ting Mung, who lives next to the Winds 2 apartments, says he saw Kline daily.

"He just ride his bike, no bother nobody," Mung said. "But I guess you never know about people."

Newman said police and FBI agents came to Winds 2 at 1:30 a.m., about 13 hours after Thursday's holdup. They arrested Kline without incident as soon as he stepped outside his unit.

Information provided by police Sgt. Lorenzo Ridela at the scene of Thursday's robbery led to Kline's arrest, according to the affidavit.

Ridela identified Kline from bank surveillance photos.

He had questioned Kline on Wednesday at the First Hawaiian Bank branch at 2411 South King St. for attempting to defraud the bank and was able to provide an address.

At left is a bank camera photograph of a man
suspected to be the so-called "sideburn bandit," believed
by police to have robbed five banks this year, the last on
June 25. On the right is a police sketch of the suspect.

---

Fifteen of the state's 26 bank robberies this year have been resolved. Two suspects are believed to be responsible for eight of the unsolved cases, said FBI supervisory agent John Gillies.

A suspect nicknamed the "sideburn bandit" has robbed five banks this year, but none since June 25.

Another male suspect, being called "grandpa" because of his age, is being sought for three robberies this year and one late last year. His last robbery was in May.