Jun 9, 2009 4:27 pm US/Central
Police: 'Red Line Robber' Strikes Again
Robber Strikes Charter One Branch On Grand Avenue
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
The "Red Line Robber" is wanted in at least eight bank heists.
FBI
The "Red Line Robber" has apparently struck again, this time at a bank near Grand Avenue and State Street.
The man has been wanted by the police and the FBI for at least eight bank robberies in Chicago since January.
The robbery happened about 2:25 p.m. Tuesday at the Charter One Bank branch at 33 W. Grand Ave., according to police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor.
The robber displayed a weapon, though he did not fire it, and no one was injured, Taylor said. He got away with an undetermined amount of cash, and there was a dye pack included, Taylor said.
Investigators believe the robber is the "Red Line Robber," who is a serial bank robber now suspected n eight thefts from Chicago banks dating to December 2008, FBI spokesman Ross Rice said.
Special Agent Frank Bochte with the FBI says it's always the same MO: "Walk into the bank, approach one of the tellers, demand money orally, he displays the weapon. The teller complies with his demands, and he exits the banks."
The FBI says most bank robbers stick to a small area, but this one has covered quite a bit of ground. And since there always seems to be a red line stop nearby, the FBI think he might be using the CTA to get to his heists.
"This person is literally up and down the Red Line from the South Side to the North Side, the Loop area… so the common denominator seems to be the tracking of the Red Line stop," Bochte said.
Investigators are now looking at surveillance video from various Red Line stops and businesses to see if they can spot the suspect. So far they haven't had any luck, but tips are coming in via the newly launch
BanditTrackerChicago.com Web site, and investigators feel fairly confident someone will recognize the suspect.
"At some point, his luck will run out and he'll get caught," Bochte said.
In the meantime, though, many CTA riders say they're frightened by the idea that an armed and dangerous robber could be among them.
"It makes me feel so scared, but I ain't got no way to get to work but the train," said CTA commuter Jestine Collins.
"It's so unsettling knowing that I'm sitting next to someone who just robbed a bank possibly," rider Andrea Noethlich said.
That's why many riders say they're paying closer attention to who's getting on and off the Red Line.
"If I see him, I'm not getting on there or I ain't going near that train," Collins said.
So far no one has been injured in any of these robberies, but the FBI says with every robbery the Red Line Robber commits, the likelihood of someone getting hurt or killed increases. Because of that, they are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Authorities stress people should not try to approach him. Instead they should just call 911 and report him.
Among the other robberies in which the man is suspected are:
--Chase Bank, 850 S. Wabash Ave., on March 13;
-- Chase Bank branch at 340 N. State St. on Dec. 5 and March 10;
-- North Community Bank branch at 5342 N. Broadway and the Bank of America branch at 7900 S. Halsted on Jan. 23; and
-- MB Financial Bank branch at 6443 N. Sheridan Rd., also on March 10.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
The Tattooed Ladies of Hollywood
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments