Rash of bank robberies have Utah police scrambling

A rash of bank holdups has Salt Lake City police on the lookout for several suspects, including one who may be a prolific serial robber.

Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Heiden said Monday's three robberies were not themselves connected, being committed by different suspects.

However, the suspect in the first holdup may have struck numerous times before. About 12:30 p.m. a white male adult, 30-35 years old, a stocky 190 pounds and wearing a black hooded jacket and fake black beard, walked into the U.S. Bank at 2243 E. 2100 South.

Implying he had a weapon, the suspect demanded cash from a teller and then fled the scene on foot. The FBI was looking at the robbery as perhaps being the latest in a series of bank robberies in Utah thought to have been committed by the same suspect.

Known for wearing fake moustaches, beards and sideburns, the serial bank robber also has been linked to at least four other holdups in the past two months, including banks and credit unions in Ogden, Woods Cross, Kearns and Midvale, according to FBI spokeswoman Patsy Speelman.

However, the bogus facial hair bandit was not suspected in the second of Monday's holdups, this one about 1:30 p.m. at the Healthcare Credit Union, 769 E. South Temple.

Heiden said this male suspect was skinny, 5-foot-8, about 30 years old, with long, dirty blonde hair and a pock-marked face with a mole on his left cheek. He, too, indicated he was armed, demanded and received cash and fled on foot northbound along K Street.

The suspect was reported by witnesses to be wearing a blue baseball cap, a blue hooded sweatshirt and black glasses.

The third robbery occurred at 3:32 p.m. Monday inside the Bank of Utah at 711 S. State St. A Latino man, 25-30, 5-foot-8, indicated he had a gun and demanded money. He ran from the bank with an unspecified amount of cash.

That suspect was last seen wearing a large black coat, black pants and a gray beanie-style cap.

Anyone with information about these robberies is asked to call Salt Lake City police at 801-799-3000.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims