Bank robber stuns police with bold approach

By JANE MEINHARDT

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 24, 1999

CLEARWATER -- He seemed no different from any other bank customer who wanted to talk with a manager.

In some cases, he even sat down and calmly waited as long as 10 minutes for a manager. Then the man who introduced himself as Doug Bradshaw made his demands and threats.

Described by authorities as an unusual and dangerous robber, he has held up at least five banks since mid-March in Central Florida and escaped with more than $300,000. The most recent holdup was July 16 in Clearwater.

"He's not a typical robber," said Clearwater Detective Jim Little. "He always gets a management person, and he's nice and calm. He's very convincing and forceful."

No one has been hurt in the robberies, but the man always indicates he has a gun, and once showed a black nylon holster under his shirt. Unlike most robbers who grab money from a teller and run, he takes the time to wait for someone to get money from bank vaults.

In the Clearwater robbery, of a First Union at 2301 Sunset Point Road, the man asked to see a customer service manager and patiently waited for her.

"He sat there," Little said. "He didn't attract any attention. He waited for maybe 10 minutes. It's different, and it's working for him."

He gave the manager a note demanding money in large bills. He also told the manager he was armed and ordered her to follow his instructions to get money from the vault or people in the bank could get hurt.

Pulling a mesh bag from under his shirt, the man stuffed money in it and left the bank in a white Isuzu Rodeo. He parked it in a driveway at a house in a nearby neighborhood, as if it belonged to the homeowner, and disappeared. The Rodeo had been stolen several hours earlier in Tampa.

Little said the robber has stolen cars in Pinellas or Hillsborough counties before each robbery and then abandoned them. He thinks the man has a partner who helps him make his getaways after the stolen cars are abandoned. In one case, the robber was seen leaving a stolen car and getting into a faded blue car driven by another man.

The holdups began March 11 at a bank in Kissimmee. Bank robberies in Sarasota, Eustis and Fort Myers have been attributed to him.

The robber, who is 20 to 28 years old, is described as athletic and self-confident. He is 5 feet 6, weighs 150 pounds and has a slender, wiry build. He has close-cropped brown hair and usually wears a ball cap. In the Clearwater robbery, he wore a Devil Rays hat.

"He has a very strong Southern accent," Little said. "He is fit and has a very controlling demeanor. With the thought and control he puts into this and his controlling personality, he's dangerous. He likes doing it; he likes the rush. He's probably armed, and he feels he can get out of any bad spot."

Anyone with information about the robber is asked to call Little at (727) 562-4319.

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