Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a man wanted in connection with three armed robberies at ATMs in Santee and El Cajon.
According to investigators, the three robberies happened between Jan. 16 and Jan. 21.
In the first incident, which happened Jan. 16 at around 11 pm., detectives say the suspect approached a male victim who was trying to withdraw money from an ATM at a Mission Federal Credit Union located at 245 Town Center Parkway in Santee.
Armed with a handgun, the suspect forced the victim to withdraw the maximum amount of money from the ATM. He then grabbed the cash and took off in a car in an unknown direction.
On Monday at around 1:30 p.m., the same suspect struck again at the very same ATM in Santee.
In that case, detectives say the suspect approached a woman who was trying to complete at transaction at the Mission Federal Credit Union. The man placed a hand into his waistband to indicate he had a weapon and ordered the woman to withdraw money from the ATM.
The woman did not comply and ran to her car. The man did not receive any money from the victim, who told detectives she saw him flee the scene in an older model white car. In both Santee cases, the suspect was caught on surveillance tape.
Then, on that same day just before 8 p.m., a third similar incident was reported.
Detectives say a suspect matching the same description as the man caught on surveillance tape in Santee approached a victim from behind at a Wells Fargo ATM located at 2398 Jamacha Road in unincorporated El Cajon.
The suspect was armed with a handgun and demanded money from the victim. He grabbed the cash and drove away.
On Wednesday detectives released surveillance photos of the three-time ATM robbery suspect. Officials describe him as a Hispanic man between 20 and 30 years old.
He’s between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot11, approximately 180 pounds and has a thin mustache. He was wearing a black baseball cap with a red bill and possibly a red “B” logo on the front, a red sweatshirt and dark jeans in at least two of the cases.
His vehicle is an unknown older model, white, four-door car with some body damage.
He was armed with a black, semi-automatic handgun.
Anyone with information on this suspect is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. This man is armed and should not be approached, officials said.