Brazen bank robbers plaguing SF banks

The FBI says three bank robbers they’re now calling the “High Jumper Bandits” have struck again.

Investigators have determined that a First Republic Bank that was held up on Geary Street in San Francisco last Thursday was robbed by the same group of men who have robbed four other banks in less than four months.

The FBI is calling the gun-toting robbers the “High Jumper Bandits” because they jump on tellers’ counters as they carry out the terrifying, takeover-style heists.

In last week’s robbery, San Francisco police say one of the robbers pistol-whipped a bank employee before the three men fled.

Since April 19 the FBI says the men have robbed three other banks in San Francisco and one in Millbrae.  Authorities have not said how much money has been taken in the heists.

The suspects are described as three black males, approximately 20 to 35 years old with slim to medium builds. During the robberies they wore thick jackets, gloves and clothing that would cover their heads and  part of their faces.

One of the suspects is between 5 feet 8 inches tall and 5 feet 10 inches. The other two men are between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall.

Authorities are also looking for another robber they say has held up at least two banks in San Francisco since the middle of June.

The FBI is calling this robber the “Up Close Bandit” because they have up close and high-quality surveillance camera images of him holding up a Citibank on Chestnut Street in June and a Bank of America on Fillmore Street on July 1.

In those two robberies the robber walked into the banks, simulated having a gun and demanded  money.

He is described as being a black man between the ages of 30 and 45 who is between 5 feet 10 and 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing between 170 to 200 pounds.