Suspect Holds Up Bank Friday in Chantilly

Fairfax County Police are investigating a bank robbery that took place Friday at the BB&T Bank, located at 13045 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in the Greenbrier Shopping Center in Chantilly.

This is the 15th bank robbery in Northern Virginia since Oct. 31; 16 if you include a suspect who authorities think is a serial robber in an additional two robberies in Northern Virginia.

Bank robberies have taken place since Oct. 31 in:

• Alexandria (3)
• Annandale (2)
• Arlington (2)
• Chantilly (1)
• Falls Church (1)
• McLean (1)
• Reston (3)
• Sterling (2)

Police got the call Friday at about 12:17 p.m. that the Chantilly bank was hit. A man entered the bank and approached an employee behind the counter. He passed a note, implied a weapon and demanded cash, police said.

The victim complied and the suspect fled the bank on foot.

The suspect was described as black, in his 30s. He was wearing a red shirt, a red jacket with a hood, red pants, a red knit cap and black boots. Detectives have not linked this suspect to any other recent bank robberies but will investigate that possibility.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Crime Solvers. Tipsters may submit a tip electronically by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text a tip by texting TIP187 plus your message to CRIMES(274637)** or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477). You may also call the Fairfax County Police Department at (703) 691-2131.

The FBI just Monday noted an uptick in bank robberies in the area. Here’s a list of the robberies that have taken place so far in Northern Virginia since Oct. 31 with links to more information from the FBI:

• Dec. 15, SunTrust Bank, Reston: Police: SunTrust Bank Robbed Monday Afternoon
• December 12, December 1, November 20, November 14, in Alexandria and Annandale, Virginia:https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-11-20.8481217874
• December 10, December 4, November 10, in Alexandria, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-11-13.0137946374
• December 10, in Reston, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-12-11.3851958180
• December 8, in Falls Church, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-12-08.4958290613
• December 6, in Arlington, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-12-08.0882079938
• December 5, in McLean, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-12-08.3002779361
• November 26 in Reston, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-11-28.5811845997
• November 24 in Sterling, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-11-25.4514135186
• October 31 in Sterling, Virginia: https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/robbers-container/2014-10-31.0530948831

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of this bank robber.

The FBI and the Fairfax County Police Department are investigating this bank robbery and request that anyone with information call the FBI at 202-278-2000 or the Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131. To review all bank robbers wanted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, visit https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov/.

PHOTO of suspect in robbery of Chantilly bank Friday courtesy of FBI