'Bearded' Bandit: Serial Bank Robber Strikes Northwest Suburbs

STREAMWOOD, IL — A serial suburban bank robber sporting fake hair has struck the northwest suburbs for the fourth time in the past three weeks, investigators believe. The bushy-haired bandit's latest robbery was reported shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Streamwood.

In each case, the robber was pictured with long dark hair obscuring his face, and police believe the hirsute hoodlum was likely wearing a wig. An FBI spokesperson said the robber was seen wearing a "fake beard" in the most recent incident Wednesday.

The suspect, described as a 5-foot, 8-inch white man with a skinny build, was pictured during each robbery wearing gloves, sunglasses and a hood or hat in images captured from surveillance videos.

Since robbing a Chase Bank branch in Cary on Dec. 1, the same man has now robbed three TCF Bank branches located inside Jewel-Osco grocery stores, according to the FBI.

Just over a week after the Cary robbery, he struck a branch in a Huntley Jewel-Osco. Feds say he followed that up by robbing another grocery store bank branch in Arlington Heights.

All four robberies were reported to have taken place in the afternoon, between about 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

There was no firearm displayed in any of the incidents, which were all non-takeover robberies, where only the teller is aware the robbery is taking place.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, who it said should be considered armed and dangerous.

Map of bank branch locations robbed by a suspected serial robber:

Surveillance Camera Images of Suspect

Dec. 1 at a Chase Bank in Cary

Dec. 10 at a TCF Bank in Huntley

Dec. 13 at a TCF Bank in Arlington Heights

_{Top photo: Unidentified serial bank robber, in Cary, Huntley and Arlington Heights | FBI}