Police are searching for a man who could be connected to two robberies Tuesday and also a carjacking and bank robbery that occurred one week ago.
He is described as black, in his late 20s or early 30s, 5 feet 11 inches with a thin build or weighing 160 to 170 pounds. In the first robbery Tuesday, the robber was seen wearing a yellow and red ASU baseball cap, white short-sleeved polo shirt with orange and red horizontal stripes and light blue jeans, and in the second robbery, he was seen wearing a brown and red jacket over a black shirt and a red baseball cap.
The first robbery occurred about 3:35 p.m. at the Wells Fargo bank located inside Fry’s grocery store, 3255 S. Rural Road, police said. The assailant walked up to the teller, pulled out some type of tool from his pocket, placed it into a grocery bag and demanded money. The man told the teller he did “not want to shoot” her. The man fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
In the second robbery, less than two hours later, the man entered Bank of America, 906 E. Baseline Road and approached the teller and placed a hand-written note onto the counter, police said. The teller handed over the money and the man ran away toward the east. Police said he may have taken a taxi cab out of the area.
An investigation is ongoing by Tempe police and the FBI.
Police ask anyone with information to call (480) 350-8311.
