Robbers hit 2 local banks

Newport Beach Police are investigating a pair of bank robberies that

occurred Tuesday within two hours and three blocks of each other.

According to Sgt. Bill Hartford, the first robbery occurred at

City Bank at 3021 Coast Highway East at 4 p.m., when a man entered

the bank and demanded money from a teller, displaying a pistol in his

waistband. He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, Hartford said.

A description of the suspect was not available late Tuesday.

The second robbery took place at a Bank of America at 3300 Coast

Highway East at 5:50 p.m., Hartford said. A lone suspect entered the

bank and passed a note to the teller. He then opened a black bag,

displaying a gun, Hartford said.

That suspect was described as a Latino or Middle-Eastern man, 35

to 40, 5-foot-10 to 6 feet, with a medium build and black hair. He

was wearing a black leather jacket and wraparound sunglasses,

Hartford said.

It was unknown if the two robberies were connected, he said.