Police Respond To 2 Bank Robberies On Same Day

AUSTIN, TX — Police were investigating two bank robberies that occurred within hours of each other on Wednesday — including one branch that was hit for the second time in less than two weeks.

The first incident occurred at a Compass Bank branch on 321 W. 6th St. During a press conference, officer Destiny Silva described the suspect as a white male standing at five feet, nine inches tall with a thin build. The suspect was last seen wearing a light-colored jacket, dark-colored shorts, a hat and a surgical mask to hide his face, the officer said.

Silva said the man entered the bank, demanded money and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. Silva confirmed the same bank was robbed on Sept. 26, also by a suspect wearing a surgical mask. No injuries were reported.

Some four hours later, a Comerica Bank branch at 7820 Burnet Road was targeted for robbery. The site is located at 7820 Burnet Rd., with the call to police made just after 4:10 p.m.

Police had not provided further details on the second heist as of 4:53 p.m. Patch will update when more information is known. As police continue to investigate, they urge those with information to call the Robbery Tips Line at (512) 974 5092.

The incidents bring the number of bank robberies in Austin to 16 so far this year — and the second time in five days banks have been hit. Police responded to a bank robbery in South Austin on Friday afternoon — which also was the third such heist in just over a week's time. Friday's robbery call came in at 12:38 p.m., police said. It occurred at a Wells Fargo bank branch along the 500 block of East Ben White Boulevard.

The two most recent bank robberies have been preceded by a string of such crimes in recent days, including:

• The robbery of a Chase bank branch on 1904 Guadalupe St. near MLK Boulevard days before at around 11 a.m. after a suspect demanded money and left on foot with an undetermined amount of cash before police could arrive. An arrest has yet to be made in connection to that incident. The description of the suspect in the earlier is similar to the one on Friday — a black man of around 35 years of age last seen wearing a ball cap, light shirt and dark-colored pants. No height or weight information was given at the time.
• The Sept. 26 robbery of the BBVA Bank on 321 W. 6th St. was hit just past 2:30 p.m. The suspect in that incident told a teller he had a weapon, although none was found. He then fled on foot traveling along Guadalupe Street after securing an undisclosed amount of cash.
• A Bank of America branch robbery at 515 Congress Avenue at the corner with 5th Street. Police described the suspect as a black man between 40 to 45 years of age and weighing about 200 pounds. He was further described as balding with a beard, last seen wearing a light-colored T-shirt.
• On June 20, the Bank of America branch at 701 E. Stassney Lane was robbed after a man entered the lobby before displaying weapon, demanded money from a teller and then fled the scene on foot, police said. The suspect was described as a black male standing at six feet in height of medium build and weighing about 215 pounds.

In January, three bank robberies were reported — two on the same day:

• The first robbery occurred at a Prosperity Bank branch at 11545 Research Blvd. right before 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 18. Police said the suspect demanded money and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. The man in that incident was described as a white, heavyset, middle-aged man who is bald, Silva said. He was last seen wearing a gray sweater with a white T-shirt underneath. The man fled on foot after securing the cash, observed heading northbound.
• Wells Fargo Bank was hit the same day at its branch on 6501 Airport Blvd. also in North Austin. There, another man entered the bank while demanding money before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect in that incident was described as a white man with dark hair and receding hairline. The man of medium build had sunglasses on top of his head at the time of the incident, and was clad in a dark sweatshirt and blue jeans.
• On Jan. 25, a Bank of America branch at intersection of East 39th Street and Interstate 35 was hit just before 4:30 p.m. The suspect is said to have demanded cash from a teller before fleeing on foot headed westbound on 39th Street. The suspect in that robbery was described as a Hispanic man in his 40s standing at five feet, two inches tall. He was last seen wearing a black zip-up hoodie and jeans, police said.