'Button-Down' Bank Robber Pulls Heist At Corona BofA

A serial bank robber dubbed the "Button-down Bandit" is suspected of targeting a bank in Corona, authorities said today.

The hold-up occurred around 3:40 p.m. Friday at a Bank of America branch in the 2600 block of Green River Road, according to Corona police.

"A white male in his 40s ... walked into the bank and passed a note demanding money from the teller," said Sgt. Brent Nelson. "The fearful teller complied and gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash from her drawer."

Nelson said the robber fled the location in a late-model Mazda four-door compact SUV, heading west on Green River.

Surveillance photographs suggest the suspect is the Button-down Bandit. a moniker that reflects his dress style, according to the sergeant.

The man in Friday's robbery was white, medium height with an auburn- colored mustache and hair, wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt buttoned shirt, sunglasses, and white cap.

In prior robberies, the bandit has had white hair and little or no facial hair, according to photos published by the FBI.

The agency believes he's struck on four previous occasions -- on Nov. 15 at a Wells Fargo in Yorba Linda; on Nov. 25 at a Bank of America in Seal Beach; on Nov. 27 at a U.S. Bank in La Quinta; and Dec. 2 at a U.S. Bank in Riverside.

During the robberies, the suspect presented tellers demand notes with statements such as "Don't make me do it" or "You have thirty seconds," according to the FBI. He also passed notes during the robberies demanding $50 or $100 denominations, suggesting someone might otherwise get hurt.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Corona police at (951) 736- 2330, or the FBI. --City News Service