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Add this to the long list of candidates for the stupidest criminals who tried to rob a bank:
A man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after he walked into a Watsonville bank, said he had a bomb in his backpack and demanded $2,000 so he could pay his friend’s rent, police reported.
But when Mark Smith, 59, allegedly tried to rob the bank, the bank manager suggested that what he actually needed to do was take out a loan, and she had him sit down while she said she was going to retrieve the loan paperwork. Instead, she called 911, according to Assistant District Attorney Dave Genochio.
"Quick-thinking staff kept the man calm and distracted him with some paperwork until we arrived," Lt. Darren Thompson said.
We’ve always known those bank loan paperwork to be real tricky: Link
This bank robbery business may just be a bit too complicated for some criminals. Take, for instance, the lesson this bank robber learned the hard way:
A woman suspected of robbing two Butte County banks last week was arrested by Davis police about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when her escape from an alleged bank robbery there failed because she locked herself out of her car.
Have you seen this old man? He’s the "Geezer Bandit," a serial bank robber than has robbed three banks so far (once while carrying an oxygen tank!):
Authorities say he walked in to a Bank of America branch in Rancho Santa Fe Monday, handed the teller a demand note, and showed a black handgun. It happened at the beginning of the business day around 10 a.m. at 17008 Avenida De Acacias. FBI agent April Langwell said investigators believe he’s hit up three other banks in the last two months. He’s suspected of robbing the U.S. Bank branch inside the Von’s grocery store in Santee on Aug, 28.
Two weeks later, on Sept. 12, he walked in the National Bank branch in La Jolla and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. Surveillance video showed him carrying an oxygen tank with tubes running up to his nose.
Then two and a half weeks ago, on Oct. 9, he targeted another U.S. Bank inside a Von’s grocery store in Carmel Valley.
