Two credit unions robbed on same day, apparently by same man

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A credit union in Clairemont Mesa and another in Hillcrest were robbed in quick succession Wednesday, seemingly by the same man, San Diego police reported.

The first heist occurred at a California Coast office in the 4200 block of Genesee Avenue shortly before 9:30 a.m. The thief gave a teller a demand note in which he claimed that he was carrying one bomb and had planted another by the front door, SDPD public-affairs Officer Ed Zwibel said.

Witnesses described the bandit as a roughly 5-foot-8-inch Asian in his mid-40s, with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing jeans, a red hooded sweat shirt and dark sunglasses.

About 20 minutes later, a similar-looking man in the same type of clothing robbed a Mission Federal branch in the 200 block of West Washington Street. During that crime, the thief, who was wearing a red hat with an “SDSU” logo on it, told a clerk he had a concealed bomb.

No weapon was seen during either robbery, according to police.

The perpetrator descriptions in the two cases were “very, very close” to each other, leading detectives to believe the same man was likely responsible for both holdups, Zwibel said.