Thousand Oaks Citibank robbed for second time in two months

A man claiming to have a gun robbed a bank in Thousand Oaks.

At 2:38 p.m. Mon., Aug. 11, a man with a bandana covering part of his face threatened a teller at Citibank, 33 N. Moorpark Road.

No one in the bank saw the weapon, but the robber was given an undisclosed amount of money that he put into a black zippered bag, said Capt. Ross Bonfiglio, Ventura County Sheriff's Department spokesperson.

No one in the bank was physically injured. When the robber departed, witnesses said he got into a dark-colored Chevy van alone and went west toward The Oaks mall, Bonfiglio said.

The bank robber is said to have been about 5 feet 5 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, blue pants and a yellow baseball cap.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department searched the area but didn't find the vehicle.

The same Citibank was robbed in the afternoon of July 3 when a masked robber the FBI calls the Dust Mask Bandit threatened employees and customers with what appeared to be a bomb.

That perpetrator in that incident was wearing a fisherman's hat pulled down to his eyes and a dirty white bandana-type cloth covering his face and he held something that looked like an explosive device as he demanded money from bank employees, authorities said.

After he ordered everyone to the floor, he used a switchblade knife to intimidate bank tellers, said FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller.

That bank robber is said to have fled on foot.

Bonfiglio said it may be the same robber, but it hadn't been determined as a fact.

The Dust Mask Bandit is believed to be responsible for nine bank robberies in Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Eimiller said.

"These robberies could be prevented, but it would cause some inconvenience to the customers," Bonfiglio said.

Bonfiglio suggested stopping customers who are entering a bank and requiring photo identification before allowing them in.

A Washington Mutual Bank on Hampshire Road near the 101 Freeway has a double door entrance with a metal detector where customers enter one at a time under the watchful eye of a bank security guard.

The Citibank on Moorpark Road doesn't regularly have a uniformed security guard on duty.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact the sheriff's major crime unit at (805) 494-8201. Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and charges being filed. According to police, the call isn't recorded and callers may remain anonymous.

Crime Stoppers can be reached at (805) 494-TALK (8255).