NORTH MIAMI BEACH – New surveillance photos just released by the F.B.I. show violent robbers who have victimized three banks on four different occasions and who used guns last Thursday at one bank and took customers and employees as hostages.
Now the F.B.I. is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the criminals responsible for the robberies, saying they are “armed and dangerous.”
One striking image shows a robber with a gun. Another photo shows a robber jumping over a bank counter last Thursday at a BB&T bank branch at 2375 S.W. 122nd Ave. which was also robbed on October 28th.
The criminals also victimized a BB&T bank branch at 869 S.W. 107th Ave. on September 25th and a Citibank branch at 7795 W. Flagler St. on October 23rd.
“It’s a matter of time before something happens,” said Robert Lanier, a Task Force Officer with the F.B.I.
Lanier told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench, “We have a group of thugs who are terrorizing banks near the F.I.U. area of Southwest Miami-Dade,” Lanier told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench.
“Last week they escalated their violence and went from presenting notes to displaying firearms, taking employes and customers as hostages and cleaning out the vault,” said Lanier. “Imagine you are in there with your family doing business and the next thing you know a group of people come in and take the bank over and take everyone hostage.”
“It’s at least 2 or 3 individuals who robbed numerous banks in the area,” said Lanier. “We know that during a robbery one of the offenders called the other Louis or Luis,” he said. “That’s very important. So we’re asking the public to look at these surveillance photos and look at the tattoos that the men may have.”
“One photo shows that one offender has something over his hand,” he said. “Perhaps he is hiding an injury or a tattoo. We are also looking for a white Chevrolet that is four door with tinted windows that we believe the subjects fled in. Even with the smallest detail that you don’t think is important, we ask that you call.”
“In all cases they are wearing baseball caps,” said Lanier. “They are often wearing black baseball caps. In the robbery last week one cap said Air Force and one subject was wearing a military jump suit.”
Maria Leiva is a customer at the BB&T bank branch on S.W. 24th Street that’s been robbed twice.
“I’m a little afraid to come over here,” she said. “The last time I was here last week this area was closed by police because of what was going on.”
“Well it’s scary, especially when it’s so close to home,” said Delia Rivero, another customer of the same bank. “I had no idea.”
“They’re a little bit more threatening because if they go in and they rob and what if somebody gets antsy and they go in and shoot somebody,” said Rivero.
That is what concerns the F.B.I.
So far the F.B.I. says no one has been seriously injured at any of the banks. But the men are considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information that can help is urged to call the F.B.I. at (305) 944-9101 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
The $5,000 reward being offered by the F.B.I. is in addition to the standard reward of up to $1,000 offered by Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers.
Source: CBS 4 News
