THOUSAND OAKS : Bank of America Hit in Year’s 39th Holdup

The Bank of America in Westlake was robbed Wednesday morning by a single bandit, bringing to 39 the number of bank robberies in Ventura County this year.

A man walked into the bank on South Westlake Boulevard about 10:15 a.m., stood in line with the other customers, and then gave the teller a note implying that he had a gun, according to FBI reports.

He left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled in a vehicle with a second suspect. No gun was seen, the FBI said.

“It was done quickly and quietly,” FBI Agent Larry Dick said. Sheriff’s patrol cars and a helicopter searched the area, but did not find the men.

The man who robbed the bank was described as a white male in his mid- to late-20s, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 180 to 200 pounds, clean-shaven with short dark hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeved, blue sweat shirt.

The number of bank robberies in Ventura County this year is well above last year’s total of 25. But Dick said the county usually has about 50 robberies each year, and about 75% to 85% of the robbers eventually are caught.