A man wearing a fake mustache with poor handwriting robbed a Chase Bank in the Bridle Trails area Tuesday afternoon.
The “Mustachioed Bandit” wearing dark clothing and a Kangol cap walked into the bank located at the Red Apple Market at 6625 132nd Ave. N.E., and passed a note to the teller at approximately 3:30 p.m.
“The funny thing is the teller couldn’t read the note,” said Lt. Mike Murray with the Kirkland Police Department. “The handwriting was so bad, she didn’t know what he meant.”
But after the man showed the outline of a gun in his pants pocket and yelled that it was a robbery, the teller complied.
“It wasn’t a lot of money,” Murray said.
The man left but was seen getting into an older dark green minivan, said Murray.
According to the FBI, the minivan was parked nearby and is described as a late 1990s or early 2000s, forest green-colored Dodge or Plymouth Voyager-type vehicle.
This is the third Kirkland bank robbery this winter. On Dec. 19, 2012, the Juanita Branch of a Wells Fargo Bank was robbed by an armed man with blue eyes, who wore a half-mask. The next day (Dec. 20) three unarmed black men robbed a Wells Fargo in the Bridle Trails neighborhood by jumping over the teller counter.
“Robberies, at least bank robberies, usually come in clusters,” said Murray. “We’ve had a bit of a run, (within the last few months) there’s been about four or five, but they’re all spread out, not the same people.”
However, Murray noted the robber who has hit several Eastside businesses within the last few months is a “big deal” because the crimes have been so close together and the suspect is still at large.
Police say the Chase Bank robber is either white or Hispanic, in his 20’s, between 5-feet, four-inches to 6-feet tall and weighs between 145-190 pounds.
The FBI has not linked him to any other crimes, said an FBI spokesperson.
The FBI Seattle Safe Streets Task Force is seeking information about the suspect. Anyone with information who can help identify this individual is asked to call the FBI at 206-622-0460 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1000 if the information given leads to an arrest and charge of the person(s) involved. To be eligible for the reward, a person must provide the information through Crime Stoppers.
