The "Starlet Bandit" as seen in surveillance pictures taken April 19th (left) and April 21 (right). (FBI) |
LOS ANGELES -- The so-called "Starlet Bandit," who is wanted in a series of bank robberies in Los Angeles County, has struck again.
The unidentfied female robber is believed to have robbed two banks Thursday, according to FBI agents and LAPD detectives working jointly.
The latest robberies involved a Citibank in Woodland Hills and a Chase Bank in North Hills.
She is also wanted in a robbery Tuesday at a Citibank in Granada Hills.
The Starlet Bandit is now believed to be responsible for ten bank heists in the L.A. area since March 2008, eight of which occurred over the past ten days.
She is so brazen that she's held up three different banks two times each, authorities said.
According to witnesses, the Starlet Bandit approaches the teller while talking on her glittery, jeweled cell phone.
She then passes the teller a note demanding that the money in the teller's drawers be placed in the bag. The suspect further instructs the tellers not to walk away from the counters or she will harm customers.
The Starlet Bandit is described as a white female between the ages of 20 and 28, weighing between 140 and 170 pounds and standing between 5'5 and 5'7''.
Despite her glamorous nickname, the suspect does not dress up for her heists. FBI photos from five of the robberies show the casually dressed, hefty woman wearing sunglasses, carrying a shoulder bag and holding a phone to her ear.
The unidentified female has been seen leaving the bank robberies in a white Toyota Avalon with and unknown male driver, investigators said.
She has also been seen leaving in a dark sport utility vehicle, similar to a Cadillac Escalade.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the Starlet Bandit is urged to contact, Special Agent Steve May of the FBI at (310) 864-7394 or Detective Dan Jaramillo of the Los Angeles Police Department at (213) 486-6840
The robberies the FBI believes the suspect is responsible for include:
-- March 25, 2008, the Bank of America at 7800 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood;
-- July 22, 2008, the Bank of America at 7255 Woodman Ave. in Van Nuys;
-- Monday, the Bank of America at 7255 Woodman Ave. in Van Nuys;
-- Wednesday, the Bank of America at 7800 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood;
-- Wednesday, the Chase Bank at 10348 N. Sepulveda in Mission Hills;
-- Friday, the Bank of America at 839 E. Palmdale in Palmdale and
-- Friday, the Chase Bank at 10348 N. Sepulveda in Mission Hills.
-- April 27, a Citibank in Granada Hills.
-- April 29, a Citibank in Woodland Hills and a Chase Bank in North Hills.
The unidentfied female robber is believed to have robbed two banks Thursday, according to FBI agents and LAPD detectives working jointly.
The latest robberies involved a Citibank in Woodland Hills and a Chase Bank in North Hills.
She is also wanted in a robbery Tuesday at a Citibank in Granada Hills.
The Starlet Bandit is now believed to be responsible for ten bank heists in the L.A. area since March 2008, eight of which occurred over the past ten days.
She is so brazen that she's held up three different banks two times each, authorities said.
According to witnesses, the Starlet Bandit approaches the teller while talking on her glittery, jeweled cell phone.
She then passes the teller a note demanding that the money in the teller's drawers be placed in the bag. The suspect further instructs the tellers not to walk away from the counters or she will harm customers.
The Starlet Bandit is described as a white female between the ages of 20 and 28, weighing between 140 and 170 pounds and standing between 5'5 and 5'7''.
Despite her glamorous nickname, the suspect does not dress up for her heists. FBI photos from five of the robberies show the casually dressed, hefty woman wearing sunglasses, carrying a shoulder bag and holding a phone to her ear.
The unidentified female has been seen leaving the bank robberies in a white Toyota Avalon with and unknown male driver, investigators said.
She has also been seen leaving in a dark sport utility vehicle, similar to a Cadillac Escalade.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the Starlet Bandit is urged to contact, Special Agent Steve May of the FBI at (310) 864-7394 or Detective Dan Jaramillo of the Los Angeles Police Department at (213) 486-6840
The robberies the FBI believes the suspect is responsible for include:
-- March 25, 2008, the Bank of America at 7800 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood;
-- July 22, 2008, the Bank of America at 7255 Woodman Ave. in Van Nuys;
-- Monday, the Bank of America at 7255 Woodman Ave. in Van Nuys;
-- Wednesday, the Bank of America at 7800 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood;
-- Wednesday, the Chase Bank at 10348 N. Sepulveda in Mission Hills;
-- Friday, the Bank of America at 839 E. Palmdale in Palmdale and
-- Friday, the Chase Bank at 10348 N. Sepulveda in Mission Hills.
-- April 27, a Citibank in Granada Hills.
-- April 29, a Citibank in Woodland Hills and a Chase Bank in North Hills.
