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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:54 a.m., Thursday, October 10, 2002

Holdup today ninth in six weeks

By Rod Ohira and Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Kaheka branch of American Savings Bank at 1600 Kapi'olani Blvd. was robbed today by a man who fled on foot.

There were no injuries reported in the 9:40 a.m. robbery. The suspect is described as a man in his 30s, between 5 feet 9 and

6 feet tall weighing about 200 pounds. He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans.

Today's robbery is the fourth on O'ahu this month and the ninth in the past six weeks, police said.

"We usually average about three bank robberies a month," police Det. Letha DeCaires said yesterday.

Police arrested a man yesterday wanted for a parole violation who is suspected of robbing the Bank of Hawaii main branch Tuesday, DeCaires said.

The Hawaii National Bank Kaimuki branch at 3450 Wai'alae Ave. was robbed yesterday at about 1:30 p.m., police said. The suspect entered the bank and passed a demand note to the teller stating he was armed.

The male robber is described as 20 to 30 years old, 5 feet 10, 300 pounds with a heavy build. He had a tan complexion with short black hair, wearing a light blue T-shirt with a tapa design on front, dark-colored shorts and athletic shoes.

Meanwhile yesterday, police said they also are matching up bank camera photos in seven previous robberies since November 2001 that may have involved two of the same men.

DeCaires said investigators believe the two men were involved in robberies at the Bank of Hawaii downtown branch Tuesday, the First Hawaiian Bank Kaimuki branch Friday, the American Savings Bank Kaimuki branch Aug. 29, the American Savings Bank Liliha branch Aug. 27, the City Bank Waipahu branch and the American Savings Bank Pearl City Foodland branch March 8, and the Central Pacific Bank Waipahu branch Nov. 16.

The suspects photographed in the Aug. 27 and the Aug. 29 robberies are not only similar in physical appearance, but were wearing the same T-shirt, DeCaires said.