San Diego
San Diego’s 1988 record number of bank robberies increased further Thursday when a robber held up a Grossmont Bank branch in Hillcrest, police reported.
A man believed to be 35 to 40 years old entered the bank at 3737 5th Ave. about 1:50 p.m. and made off with $920, police said. Police said the man gave a teller a note reading: “Robbery, give me your hundreds and fifties. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Hurry.”
A witness chased the robber south, then east through an alley before losing sight of him, police spokesman Bill Robinson said.
Witnesses told the police the robber, who had a dark complexion and was about 5-foot-8, wore a flannel shirt, down vest, corduroy baseball cap and dark sunglasses.
Police are unsure whether the same robber is responsible for other holdups, but Robinson said “it is included in our all-time high of more than 130 robberies this year in the city of San Diego.” Last year, there were 110 bank robberies in the city.
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