Police and the FBI are jointly investigating a bank robbery that occurred Monday morning at a downtown Manhattan Beach bank by a lone man who made off on foot with cash, authorities said.
At 8:50 a.m. the suspect allegedly walked into Chase Bank, 201 Manhattan Beach Blvd. and passed a note to a teller that demanded money, said Manhattan Beach Police Detective Michael Rosenberger.
“In the note, he mentioned that he had a fire arm,” Rosenberger said.
The teller, who told police he was in fear for his life, handed over cash. The suspect fled the bank on foot in an unknown direction.
Police would not disclose how much money he took.
A handful of customers and employees were present during the incident.
“Most people were not aware of what was going on,” said MBPD Detective Sgt. Brian Brown. “It all happened within a couple of minutes.”
The bank’s surveillance camera picked up a clear image of the suspect, who has not yet been apprehended.
“We don’t know which way he went when he left,” Rosenberger said. “We are working with the FBI on it and hope to have more information on the guy by the end of the week.”
An initial investigation revealed that the suspect was staying at a motel in Manhattan Beach and was registered under the name of Vincent Sullivan, according to police.
The suspect is described by police as a white male, age 60 to 65, 5-foot-8-inches tall with a heavy build and balding with white, slicked-back hair. He was last seen wearing a green New York Jets number six football jersey with “Sanchez” written on the back, blue pants and dark athletic shoes.
“It’s a weird thing to walk in there with such a distinct shirt on like that,” Rosenberger said. “Some information we got from the hotel indicates he may be destitute and on hard times.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Rosenberger at 310-802-5171. ER
