Toronto police say they are still working to positively identify a man wanted for five different bank robberies in Toronto, London and Newcastle this spring, dubbing him the “L.A. Bandit” after he wore an LA Dodgers cap during several of the incidents.
Acting Insp. Lauren Pogue said that between April 7 and May 26, three Toronto bank branches at Yonge and Wellesley streets, Bloor Street West and Spadina Avenue and Kingston Road and Victoria Park Avenue were robbed by a man sporting a baseball cap, sunglasses and a variety of colourful windbreakers.
In each instance, Pogue said the suspect placed a backpack on the counter and made a demand of cash from a teller.
“A gun was indicated but none was seen,” Pogue said.
He then fled the scene on foot on each occasion. No one was injured in any of the incidents.
Pogue said the suspect also robbed banks in Newcastle, Ont. on April 12 and London, Ont. on May 18 using the same tactics.
But in the London incident, Pogue said the suspect was seen driving away from the bank in a white Mercedes CLA 250 sedan, with a model year between 2014 and 2016.
It’s the only time a vehicle was associated to any of the incidents.
“We haven’t seen a vehicle in any other robbery. We believe he is operating on his own because he was seen getting into the driver’s seat of that vehicle.”
In all but one of the robberies, the Kington Road and Victoria Park Avenue incident, the suspect entered the bank in the morning.
Pogue described the suspect as a white male between 25 and 35 years of age, standing six-feet-tall with a medium build. He had a thick dark beard and moustache in several of the robberies
He used either a blue or a red backpack in the robberies, and wore either a black and white windbreaker or a royal blue, black and yellow jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to call Toronto police hold-up at 416-808-7350.
