Armed robber adds to total, hits 18th bank

The latest target is Republic Bank in Largo. The crime takes less than 70 seconds.

By CHRIS TISCH

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 14, 2001

LARGO -- For the last 2 1/2 years, a bank robber has bedeviled Tampa Bay area detectives, holding up 18 banks, including one Wednesday morning in Largo.

Detectives say he is the most prolific Tampa Bay area robber in 25 years.

The man wields a single-action handgun, the hammer cocked. He pounces on counters and jabs the gun at tellers, only 2 pounds of pressure preventing that gun from firing.

"He's going to hurt somebody because he's carrying a revolver with the hammer cocked back. He's saying he's going to kill people," said Cpl. Paul Martin, a Pinellas sheriff's detective who has been chasing the robber for two years. "He's pointed guns at people's heads."

They call him the crowbar robber because in two of his early stick-ups, he carried a crowbar or hammer. He has carried a handgun in every other robbery. Bank employees have quit their jobs after coming face to face with him.

"He is extremely violent, threatening to kill, and in some of them he's threatened to take hostages," said Largo Detective Steve McMullen, who is investigating the Wednesday hold-up at Republic Bank, 14141 Walsingham Road. "He's not a nice guy."

But investigators say he may seem nice once he takes off the gloves and dark mask that have made him so hard to catch.

"This person is probably going to be that classic person next door that you had no idea was robbing banks," Martin said. "And that's who we want people to be on the lookout for."

Martin said he believes the robber has the patience of an older man. And unlike many robbers, he doesn't show the frenzied desperation of someone strung out on drugs.

He usually waits about six weeks between hold-ups, even if he comes away empty.

The Republic Bank hit was vintage crowbar robber: a patient set-up followed by a quick and violent outburst.

The man apparently cased the bank until it appeared to be clear of customers, then went inside.

He pointed a gun at one employee, then at a teller and demanded money. He then vaulted onto the counter and snatched cash from the drawers. He threatened to kill the employees.

The stick-up took less than 70 seconds. He was so quick that surveillance cameras didn't get a good shot of him, McMullen said.

After leaving the bank, he hopped on a bike and pedaled away, possibly toward a shopping center. He has done this before, which leads investigators to believe he's seeking the camouflage of a parking lot, where his getaway car may be waiting.

The Republic robbery was the first in which customers were inside, though McMullen said they were in an office, where they may not have been noticeable to someone casing the building.

Martin would not say how much money the robber has stolen, but said he does better than the national average for a bank robbery score: $2,300.

If the crowbar robber is ever caught, detectives have one important piece of evidence: DNA that has been collected from hair and sweat he left at hold-ups. They are hoping to run that DNA evidence through a data base of convicted felons to see if there are any matches.

In the meantime, detectives are hoping people will help them by calling, even if they have only a slight suspicion.

"We're just worried he's going to end up hurting somebody," Martin said. "He leaves people in tears every time he leaves the bank."

The robber has become enough of a concern that the Florida Bankers Association is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Investigators believe the crowbar robber is about 5 feet 9 and 200 pounds. He has a bald spot on the top of his head. He wore a white sweat shirt, jeans and a cap during the robbery Wednesday.

Martin said he thinks the robber is monitoring media reports, possibly even enjoying the thrill of keeping ahead of the police.

"I think that anyone that does this type of crime consistently doesn't believe they'll get caught," Martin said. "So far, he's winning.

"But we solve over 90 percent of our bank robberies," he added. "I'm patient, too."

To help

Anyone with information about the bank robber can call Detective Steve McMullen at 587-6730, or Cpl. Paul Martin at 582-6305. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information.

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