Police release photos of man who robbed Bank of America

LA CRESCENTA — Crescenta Valley Sheriff's detectives released surveillance photographs this week of the man who robbed a Bank of America on Foothill Boulevard after passing a teller a note and threatening to shoot her, officials said.

The photographs showed the robber holding a note and standing at the teller's booth about 12:56 p.m. Sept. 16 inside the Bank of America on the 3100 block of Foothill Boulevard.

Detectives are hoping the photographs will help jumpstart the case because they haven't received any tips, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Harley.

"It is possible somebody or a customer could have seen something else out there," he said.

FBI investigators are also looking for the robber, who they say held up the same bank in November 2007, FBI spokeswoman Maureen O'Connell said.

The robber has been dubbed the "Green Tattoo bandit" because witnesses in both robberies reported seeing a green tattoo on the back of his neck, O'Connell said.

Although the suspect has been linked to the past robbery, O'Connell said FBI investigators "don't know who he is."

Last Thursday's robbery was similar to the 2007 hold up.

In the most recent incident, the robber approached the teller and gave her a note saying he would shoot her if she didn't empty her cash drawer and give him the money, sheriff's officials said.

Witnesses didn't report seeing a weapon.

After the teller complied with his demands, he fled with an unknown amount of cash, officials said.

A witness saw the man running along Foothill Boulevard immediately after the robbery, then jump into an older white compact car that drove away.

Sheriff's deputies searched the area for the suspect and getaway vehicle, but were unable to find them, Harley said.

In the 2007 robbery, the same suspect also held up the bank about noon and passed a note to the teller, saying he had a gun. No weapons were seen in that robbery.

The man was described as Latino, in his 30s, about 200 pounds, 6 foot 2 inches tall, with goatee-style facial hair and a muscular build. He wore glasses, blue jeans and a gray-checkered, long-sleeve shirt and an "L.A." baseball cap.

Anyone with details about the robbery or the suspect is asked to call Harley at (818) 248-3464, Ext. 4009 and the FBI at (310) 477-6565.