Robberies may be linked, police say
Authorities believe the same man may be responsible for a string of recent bank robberies in Opelousas, Lafayette and Broussard, a police spokesman said Tuesday.
Opelousas Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jody White said that agency is in contact with the Lafayette and Broussard police departments due to similarities in the robber’s appearance and the manner in which the banks were robbed.
The robber in each case handed the teller a note in which he demanded money and claimed to be armed, White said.
“We have reasons to believe that it is the same person,” White said Tuesday.
All three robberies occurred within the last two weeks, the most recent at 3:16 p.m. Monday at Regions Bank at 1208 Albertson Parkway, Broussard Police Chief Brannon Decou said late Monday.
The robber was described as a light-skinned black man or dark-skinned white man in his 50s, of a heavy set build and between 5 feet, 9 inches and 6 feet tall. He was wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a camouflage hat, Decou said in a news release Monday evening.
The robber walked up to the teller and handed her a letter demanding “all of their money in large bills.” The man said he was armed with a gun, although bank employees said they never saw a gun, Decou said.
The robber left on foot toward the Albertson’s parking lot, where he got into a gold Ford F250 with dark trim and a paper license plate, Decou said.
The truck is similar to one used in the Friday afternoon robbery of Whitney Bank at 4524 Ambassador Caffery Parkway in Lafayette, police said.
The robbery was described as 6 feet, 2 inches to 6 feet, 4 inches tall, weighing 240 to 260 pounds and wearing a blue and white ball cap with a light colored shirt and a white T-shirt underneath, Lafayette police have said.
White said the robbery in Opelousas occurred at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Whitney Bank on the Interstate 49 Frontage Road.
The robber was described as a tall white man, wearing a blue hat, blue shirt and blue jeans. He walked into the bank and produced a note demanding money from the teller and claimed to be armed but never produced a weapon, White said.
Cpl. Paul Mouton, spokesman for Lafayette Police, acknowledged that the three departments were working together on the case.
“Detectives cannot say at this time that our bank robbery is connected with either of the robberies. We do agree that there are several similarities,” Mouton said.
Decou also stopped short of confirming the connection.
“We are still working on the similarities and we will release something when we are able to determine one way or the other for sure,” Decou wrote in an email Tuesday.
Anyone with information about either crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (337) 232-TIPS.