Los Banos bank robbers struck others too, police say

Police believe the two suspects who robbed Westamerica Bank in Los Banos last month also attempted to rob three banks in two other cities less than two weeks later.

The Los Banos and Glendale police departments are working together to identify the suspects and are asking for the public's help.

An armed individual, described as a black man between 18 and 25 years old, robbed the Los Banos bank of an undisclosed amount of money at about 3:26 p.m. Nov. 9, police said, adding that he took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled with a driver, the second suspect, in a silver four-door Kia parked near the front entrance of the bank.

The driver, a thin white man between 30 and 40 years old with brown hair and brown eyes, is also believed to be involved in a Nov. 18 robbery of a bank in the City of Sherman Oaks, according to a Glendale Police Department news release.

Shortly after noon on Nov. 20, the white male suspect in the Los Banos bank robbery entered a Citibank at 1201 N. Central Ave. in Glendale, flashed his gun and handed a teller a note demanding money, police said. After the teller refused, the suspect fled in a silver Kia Optima driven by a black male suspect.

About two hours later, the white male suspect robbed the Bank of America at 203 N. Glendale Ave. in Glendale. But he again fled the bank without the cash, according to the news release.

The black male suspect in the Glendale attempted robberies is described as being between 5-foot, 8-inches to 5-foot, 9-inches tall and has tattoos of a cancer ribbon on his front neck, a marijuana leaf on his right wrist, musical notes on his upper arm, and unknown tattoos on the back of his neck and back of his right hand.

Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles told the Sun-Star Friday that authorities haven’t confirmed if the black male suspects in the Los Banos and Glendale incidents were the same person.

Police believe the white male suspect is between 6-foot, 1-inches and 6-foot, 5-inches tall.

The getaway vehicle is described as a 2016 or 2017 silver Kia Optima with unknown stickers on the lower left front windshield and lower right rear window.

The suspects were still at large, police said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Los Banos Police Detective Sean Bayard at 209-827-7070, ext. 115, or Glendale Police Detective Christopher Krivak.

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Los Banos bank robbers struck others too, police say."