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FBI hunting ‘Bare Chested Bandit’ bank robber who changed disguises for every heist

The suspect is known to change clothes on public transportation

Michelle Del Rey
Thursday 03 October 2024 18:47 EDT
Bank robbery fail

The FBI is searching for a robber dubbed the “Bare-Chested Bandit” after a string of bank thefts in the Chicago area.

The unidentified suspect is believed to be responsible for three heists since September. Investigators say he has worn a different outfit to each robbery and changed clothes while on public transportation, which led to his nickname.

Cops say that on Tuesday afternoon the suspect walked into a Citibank opposite Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, handed a teller a note demanding money, then made a violent threat. The teller handed him the cash and he fled the scene. No injuries were reported.

The two other robberies occurred in the same area but at a different Citibank location, according to Fox 32.

Police described the suspect as a white male, aged 30 to 40, with a height between 5’6 and 5’7, and of medium build.

Cops are searching for a thief dubbed the ‘Bare-Chested-Bandit’ are a string of bank robberies in Chicago
Cops are searching for a thief dubbed the ‘Bare-Chested-Bandit’ are a string of bank robberies in Chicago (FBI)

In the latest robbery, he wore a dark plaid-patterned jacket, white collared shirt, light-colored jeans, black hat, mirrored sunglasses, and black-and-white athletic shoes, the outlet reported. He also has an armband tattoo on his upper right arm.

Federal investigators are asking anyone with insight into the crimes to contact the FBI-Chicago Field Office at 312-421-6700 or submit anonymous tips at tips.fbi.gov.

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