Detectives in San Luis Obispo County investigating the Geezer Bandit bank robbery series hope to find clues in the customer databases of a Van Nuys mask company that sells a realistic-looking “old man” disguise.
Investigators believe the prolific bank robber, who has struck 16 branches throughout the state, is possibly a younger man wearing a mask. Eleven of the robberies have occurred in San Diego County.
The Morro Bay Police Department, which is investigating a May 27 robbery by the Geezer, obtained a search warrant last month against SPFX Masks requesting a list of customers who have purchased a silicone mask dubbed “The Elder,” as well as matching hand and arm sleeves. The detective requested records going back to Jan. 1, 2009, months before the first robbery occurred in Santee.
The detective states in the affidavit that the surveillance footage of the robber appears very similar to photos of the mask, sold online for $810.
FBI Special Agent Darryl Foxworth said Thursday that the FBI and San Diego police have already been in with the mask company and obtained information from them. He declined to disclose what kind of information was obtained, citing the open investigation.
“We’ve achieved the same objectives,” Foxworth said.
FBI investigators are hoping evidence from the most recent robbery in San Luis Obispo will provide additional clues.
On Dec. 2, an armed robber believed to be the Geezer Bandit demanded money from tellers at a Bank of America. In the parking lot during his getaway, a dye pack planted in the money exploded, shrouding him in a red cloud.
He dropped the cash and a day planner before running away, possibly to a white BMW.
The planner is being analyzed at the FBI forensic lab in Quantico, Va., Foxworth said.
