Crime & Safety
Serial Bank Robber: FBI Offers Reward For Knife-Wielding Bandit
The robber who struck Evanston Wednesday appeared to be in his early 30s, less than 5' 10'' tall and more than 200 pounds, authorities said.
EVANSTON, IL — A serial bank robber struck a Howard Street bank Wednesday, according to the FBI, which offered a reward for information leading to a conviction.
The man who robbed the Huntington Bank branch inside the Jewel-Osco at 2485 Howard St. at knifepoint around 5:45 p.m. is suspected of having robbed at least a half-dozen other banks in Chicago and the north suburbs.
The man is described as between 5 feet, 5 inches and 5 feet, 9 inches tall and between 200 and 240 pounds, according to the description provided by the FBI and Evanston police.
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Police said he appears to be between 35 and 50 years old and white with short blond hair and possibly "reddish blond" facial hair, and he often wears blue medical masks.
In the most recent robbery, the man wore a black baseball cap with a red bill and a black Puma hooded sweatshirt with a zipper, as well as light-colored jeans, black and grey gloves and a black backpack, according to images captured from bank security videos.
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According to information from the FBI, the same robber was responsible for a series of earlier heists over the previous nine months.
The suspect has never displayed a gun, but he is thought to have brandished a blade in each of the previous instances.
On Nov. 24, 2021, the man, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, robbed the BMO Harris at 3113 N. Lewis Ave. in Waukegan.
On Feb. 18, the same suspect struck the Parkway Bank, 39 N. Morgan St., Chicago, while wearing a black hooded sweatshirt under a black jacket.
On March 3, the serial robber targeted the Huntington Bank inside the Jewel-Osco, 9449 Skokie Blvd., in Skokie. He was again wearing a black hoodie and medical mask.
On April 22, he robbed the Fifth Third Bank at 837 W. North Ave., Chicago. The suspect wore a hooded sweatshirt under a black and gray jacket during the robbery.
On May 10, the unidentified bandit robbed the Huntington Bank at 4042 W. Foster Ave., this time wearing a hooded zip-up shirt, black cap and sunglasses.
On June 11, he robbed another Huntington Bank branch, this one inside the Jewel-Osco at 4355 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, while wearing a black Chicago Cubs cap covered in silver "C" insignias, along with a blue jacket and light-colored pants.
The FBI is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the robber's arrest and convictions.
No word was immediately available from bank representatives regarding any additional reward money on offer, and no information was available regarding how much money the robber has taken in any of the seven incidents.
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