HOUSTON – The FBI Violent Crime Task Force is linking an armed serial bank robber to at least six bank heists in three Texas cities —Houston, Pearland, and Sugar Land — beginning in 2014. The latest robbery occurred in Houston just last week.
"Our investigators believe he may be coming in from out of town just simply because we have not been able to get any good leads on him," Christina Garza, public affairs specialist for the Houston FBI office, said.
Investigators from the FBI, Pearland Police Department and Sugar Land Police Departments are teaming up to work the case.
They believe the crime spree started at the Frost Bank located at 11201 Broadway in Pearland, Texas, on Dec. 16, 2014.
The unidentified robber then targeted the Prosperity Bank located at 11451 Broadway in Pearland on May 19, 2015; the Trustmark Bank located at 1845 State Highway 6 in Sugar Land, Texas, on June 30, 2015; the Capital
One Bank located at 1520 West Sam Houston Parkway in Houston, Texas, on July 17, 2015; and a second time at the Frost Bank location at 11201 Broadway Street in Pearland on Oct. 8, 2015.
The latest robbery occurred at the same Capital One Bank location at 1520 West Sam Houston Parkway in Houston, March 3.
In each robbery the suspect is armed with a black semi-automatic handgun and uses the weapon to threaten tellers while he verbally demands cash. In each case, the gunman has fled the area with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one has been physically hurt in the robberies.
With the help of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas with its members companies Clear Channel Outdoor and Lamar Advertising, the FBI is launching a statewide digital billboard and publicity campaign in the hopes of generating leads in the case. Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering an up to $5,000 reward for information that leads to the serial robber’s identity and arrest.
The armed bank robber is described as a black male, 45 – 55 years old, approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, weighing about 200 pounds. He typically wears a ball cap and sunglasses and has changed his look during the robberies with varying degrees of facial hair, from a goatee to a mustache. During each of the robberies, the robber brandished a black semi-automatic handgun.
If you have information about the serial bank robber, please call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or the FBI Houston Field Office at (713) 693-5000. Text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637) or visit www.crime-stoppers.org. Tips may also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through the Crime Stoppers of Houston app which can be downloaded at the app store for both iPhone and Android devices. All tipsters remain anonymous.
