Robbed

GRANTS, N.M. –

Wearing a black hat, black hoodie, a light blue surgical mask and blue jeans, a man walked into the Wells Fargo bank on First Street in Grants, New Mexico and brandished a handgun. He demanded money from the bank teller, and in the afternoon of June 7, he walked out of the building.

A silver car was waiting outside the bank, the Black Cap Bandit stepped inside the car, and drove off North on First Street. Wells Fargo has since hired a security guard.

The Robbery

Grants Police Chief Jeff Marez and one of his officers were out on a routine patrol of the Riverwalk Park in the downtown district of Grants when the call came in – Wells Fargo had been robbed.

The bandit walked inside Wells Fargo, as he approached the teller, he pulled out a handgun and demanded money. The teller gave the bandit an undisclosed amount of money and he walked out of the bank, appearing to leave down First Street on foot.

Initial reports suggested that the bandit fled the bank on foot. Not being far from the bank, Chief Marez and an unnamed officer rode toward the bank, searched inside alleyways and hiding spots off the beaten trail. The officers on bike patrol were the first on scene.

Unlike in Hollywood, Grants Police Department had to wait for security video to process before they could see exactly where the bandit had gone. They continued to act on the idea that the bandit had fled on foot.

When GPD could finally view the security footage, they discovered that the bandit had an accomplice. Hidden around the backside of the bank, a silver four-door passenger car sat in wait. After the bandit robbed the bank, he hopped inside the vehicle and drove away from the scene of the crime. According to GPD, there appears to have only been one other person in the car.

The firearm pulled by the bandit inside the bank appears to be real. The use of a deadly weapon in the act of a bank robbery makes the crime more serious, and adds a significant amount of time to the prison possible prison sentence.

What Does the Bandit Look Like?

The bandit is a Native American male. He is anywhere from 5’7” to 5’9” in height. He weighs approximately 160 pounds. He was seen wearing a black baseball cap with an unknown white logo, a black sweater, a light-blue surgical mask, blue jeans and black shoes.

The bandit carried a firearm – a handgun – and is considered armed and dangerous. If you see the bandit, do not approach him, call 911.

Major Crimes

Exactly one month before the most recent bank robbery, Wells Fargo was hit by the Red Shoe Robber.

“Criminals can be smart,” Chief Marez said, “The probably cased the bank a few times before they decided to commit the robbery.”

Another robbery hit at Petro Gas Station in the Village of Milan, N.M. Despite rumors that this robbery is connected to the Black Cap Bandit, Milan Police Chief Carl Ustupksi said it does not appear that the June 7 bank robbery and the June 9 Petro robbery are connected.

Bank robberies are under federal jurisdiction, so the Federal Bureau of Investigation was called in to handle this case. The FBI is the primary agency in both of the bank robberies this year, and is working to identify and arrest the Red Shoe Robber and the Black Cap Bandit. This level of crime is highly uncommon in Cibola County, Chief Marez said that despite the difficulty in the investigation, GPD and the FBI will continue to pursue justice and seek the arrest of individuals who target public safety. Milan Police Department deploys a camera system that tracks the license plate number of vehicles which pass by. Chief Marez said that over the past year GPD has been considering the same camera system, as it would improve police work, but because of budget restraints GPD could not deploy the system so far this year. GPD is looking at the next fiscal year, which begins in July, to reconsider bringing the camera system to Grants. The cameras do not take photos of the front of a vehicle, just the license plate.