Search Is On For 'Bladed Bandit' Wanted For LA Bank Robberies

LOS ANGELES, CA – Authorities Wednesday circulated security photos of the so-called Bladed Bandit, who is wanted for brandishing a knife or gun while robbing three banks and trying to rob another in Los Angeles and Orange counties this month.

The man is described as white, about 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a slender build and light-color hair and eyes.

"During the robberies, the suspect brandishes either a gun or knife and aggressively demands cash," said Laura Eimiller of the FBI. "He threatens to hurt victims if they don't comply with demands."

The man may have an accomplice, described only as a white man in his 20s.

The suspect robbed a Chase branch on Jan. 2 in Seal Beach; a Wells Fargo branch on Jan. 16 in Cerritos; and a U.S. Bank location in Fountain Valley on Jan. 18. He also tried to rob a Farmers & Merchants bank on Jan. 16 in Long Beach.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the FBI at (310) 477-6565; or 911.

City News Service; Photos courtesy of Federal Bureau of Investigations